Under one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their usual food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
