Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
