Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, as their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
