Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen access, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, when their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.