Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
