Under 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
