Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, via measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, because their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
