Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
