Under 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, via measures like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates users may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, because their usual hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
