Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, through measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
