Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to widen access, through measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
