Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, when their normal appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
