Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, via measures including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
