Less than 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, by measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
