Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
