Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected case, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
