Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
