Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, as their normal food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
