Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, by measures such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
