Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
