Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen availability, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
