Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
