Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
