Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, by measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, because their normal hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
