Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through approaches including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
