Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
