Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
