Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
