Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
