Under 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to 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 thorough and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
