Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
