Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
