Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen access, by approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
