Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access 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 affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, via strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
