Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, when their typical appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
