Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
