Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
