Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
