Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
