Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
