Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, by approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, because their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
