Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, through approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
