Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, because their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
