Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, because their typical appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
