Under a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, through measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, because their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
