Under 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, when their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
