Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the treatment, because their normal hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.