Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
