Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their typical appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
