Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, because their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
