Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen access, via approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
