Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
