Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, via measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their typical appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
