Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
