Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected 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 recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, by measures like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, as their usual food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
