Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their typical food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
