Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
