Under one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to expand access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, because their usual hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
