Less than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
