Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, through approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
