Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
