Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen access, by approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
