Under 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase access, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
