Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen access, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
