Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to widen availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, because their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
