Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now 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 new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present best projected scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen access, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
