Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
