Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, through approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their normal appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
