Less than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
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 chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, when their usual hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
