Under 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen access, via strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
