Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
