Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
