Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, as their normal hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
