Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
