Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for developing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
