Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through measures like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
