Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, as their usual hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
