Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
