Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
