Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their normal appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
