Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, as their usual hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
