Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable 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.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, as their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
