Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, as their usual hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
