Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their typical hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
