Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, as their normal food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
