Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their usual food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
