Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
