Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand access, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
