Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
