Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
