Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
