Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, because their typical hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
