Under a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
