Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, as their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
