Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, through measures such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, as their typical food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
