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 publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
