Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
