Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
