Under 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
