Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, because their usual hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
