Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase access, by approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, because their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
