Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, via strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, as their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
