Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, because their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
