Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
