Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
