Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, because their typical hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
