Under a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, through strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, as their typical appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
