Under one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, as their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
