Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
