Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
