Under 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
