Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, through strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your chance for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
