Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
