Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
