Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
