Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
