Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, because their usual hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
