Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen access, through approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
