Under a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
