Less than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
