Under 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
