Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, because their normal food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
