Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, through measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
