Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
