Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their normal appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
