Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, as their normal appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
