Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their usual hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
