Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
