Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
