Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, via measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, when their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
