Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
