Under 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
