Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, by strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
