Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, by measures like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
