Under 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, via measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, because their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
