Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, because their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
