Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, through measures like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
