Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, via approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, as their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
