Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, as their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
