Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, as their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
