<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The World Health Organisation has issued its first guideline on the use of GLP-1 therapies for obesity, conditionally recommending them as part of long-term treatment for the condition, which affects more than 1 billion people globally according to the agency.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The guidance comes as demand for the class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists has surged worldwide, and governments are figuring out how to include the blockbuster therapies into public health systems.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The first conditional recommendation advises the use of GLP-1 drugs by adults, except pregnant women, for long-term obesity treatment, while the second suggests interventions like a healthy diet and physical activity to be offered alongside the medicines.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ozempic-wegovy-mounjaro-tga-issues-new-warning-for-popular-weightloss-and-diabetes-drugs/8770669c-5639-4fa2-95f0-48d56e046fea"><strong><span>TGA issues fresh warning for Ozempic and other high-profile drugs</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the new guidance "recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He added that although medication alone cannot solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 medication could help millions overcome this condition and reduce its associated harms.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reuters first reported that the WHO was likely to take this step earlier this year.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/who-backs-ozempic-mounjaro-and-similar-drugs-for-obesity-warns-about-access/e5e99281-d3b0-4c0e-9ca9-73caf51e7d58" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest move builds on the agency's decision in September to add semaglutide and tirzepatide, active ingredients in Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, to its essential medicines list for managing type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The agency warned on Monday that the economic toll of obesity was rising sharply, with the annual global cost to reach 3 trillion by 2030.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-accused-from-high-profile-family-denies-raping-woman/701be1cb-3f9b-4abd-b9ca-0b3994479daf"><strong><span>Man from high-profile family denies rape</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/teen-falls-from-car-mornington-peninsula-st-andrews-beach-victoria/dac7dfc3-67d4-44d9-87c3-85993abaccfc" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Teen charged after schoolies celebrations go horribly wrong</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>WHO also stressed that access remains a major barrier. Even with rapid expansion in production, GLP-1 therapies are projected to reach fewer than 10 per cent of those who could benefit, by 2030.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest guideline applies to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher and the recommendations are for three agents - semaglutide, tirzepatide, and an older drug from the same class called liraglutide.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>WHO said it would work with governments and stakeholders in 2026 to help prioritise access for people at the highest health risk.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>