Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
