Under a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase availability, by approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
