Under one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
