Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, when their normal food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
