Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, because their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
