Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, by measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their typical appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
