Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, because their normal hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
