Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
