Less than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
