Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
