Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
