Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, as their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
