Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, because their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
