Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, as their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
