Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen availability, by measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their typical hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
