Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen availability, by measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
