Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their typical food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
