Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, by strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, as their usual food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
