Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
