Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
