Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, because their typical appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
