Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their typical food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
