Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
