Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase access, via strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so people eat less.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
