Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
