Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand access, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
