Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
