Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
