Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to widen access, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
