Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present best projected case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
