Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
