Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand access, through strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
