Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
