Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
