Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, because their usual food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
