Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, by strategies such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
