Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
