Under a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
