Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase access, via approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, because their usual hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
