Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
