The Global Health Body Sounds Alert Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Medications

Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.

With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.

Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.

The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Work

The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.

People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.

Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual hunger resume.

Being overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.