Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
