Under one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
