Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, because their usual food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
