Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
