Under 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
