Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
