Under a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand access, by approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
