Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand availability, by measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
