Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, as their usual hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
