Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
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.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
