Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
