Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, by approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, when their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
