Under a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
