Fewer than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, because their usual appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.