Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, when their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
