Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, when their usual hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
