Under one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
