Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
