Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
