Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, via strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.