Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
