Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
