Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen access, through strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
