Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase access, by measures including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
