Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
