Under 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
