Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
