Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via measures like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, as their usual food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
