Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
