Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand access, via approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, when their usual food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
