Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, as their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
