Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, because their typical appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
