Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its first advice on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, because their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
