Under one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
