Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
