Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
