Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through measures like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, because their typical hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
