Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
