Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, by strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
