Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
