Less than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase access, by strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
