Under a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen access, through measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
