Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research points to people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
