Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
