Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
