Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen access, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
