Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
