Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, as their normal hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
