Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.