Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
