Under 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, when their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
