Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now classified as 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 obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, via approaches including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, when their usual appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
