Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase access, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, because their usual food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
