Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
