Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
