Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand access, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
