Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their usual food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
