Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen access, by measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
