Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by approaches like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
