Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
