Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for developing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
