Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through measures such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
