Under 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase availability, via strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
