Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by approaches such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
