Under 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase access, by approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
