Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, through measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
