Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
