Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, as their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
