Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, because their typical food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
