Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
