Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
