Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase availability, via measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, because their usual hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
