Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
