Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
