Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
