Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase access, by measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, because their usual appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
