Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
