Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
