Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
