Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to expand access, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
