Under 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like 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 urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, via strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
