Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
