Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen access, through strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
