Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
