Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
