Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, by strategies such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
