Under a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
