Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
