Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand access, by strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
