Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, because their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
