Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
