Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, as their usual appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
