Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
