Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, as their typical appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
