Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
