Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
