Less than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
