Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, via measures like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
