Opioid use continues to be a major global health challenge, the agency noted. In 2023, an estimated 316 million people worldwide used drugs, with around 61 million engaging in non-medical opioid use. Opioids are responsible for the largest share of drug-related health burdens, including fatal overdoses, with approximately 450,000 of the 600,000 drug-related deaths globally linked to opioid use.
WHO highlighted a significant treatment gap: although roughly 64 million people live with drug use disorders, fewer than 10 per cent receive appropriate care. The organization stressed that access to affordable, ethical, high-quality, and evidence-based treatment is crucial to reducing overdose-related deaths and improving health outcomes for individuals with opioid dependence.
To help countries address this gap, WHO develops and regularly updates guidelines informed by systematic reviews of both quantitative and qualitative evidence. The latest recommendations were formulated by the Guideline Development Group (GDG), which evaluated treatment benefits and risks, cost-effectiveness, equity, acceptability, and feasibility.
The updated guidance reaffirms WHO’s recommendation for opioid agonist maintenance treatment (OAMT), a medically supervised approach involving rigorously evaluated opioid agonists to achieve defined treatment goals. Methadone and oral buprenorphine remain strongly recommended, and the new guidelines now include conditional guidance on long-acting injectable buprenorphine formulations, reflecting emerging evidence on their effectiveness.
The full guidelines are being finalized under the oversight of the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, in consultation with the GDG and guideline methodologists. WHO expects the final version to be published later this year or in early 2027, providing countries with detailed recommendations, evidence profiles, implementation considerations, and identified research gaps.
By expanding access to proven treatments and refining overdose management strategies, WHO aims to strengthen global responses to the opioid crisis and reduce preventable deaths.