Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current best projected case, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, through approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people eat less.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, as their typical hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
