Fewer than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
