Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first 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 this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase access, via measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, as their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
