Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
