Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
