Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
