Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, by strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
