Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, because their typical hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
