Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
