Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, through measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
