Under a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, by measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, as their typical food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
