Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen access, by approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, as their normal food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
