Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their normal appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
