Under 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
