Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase access, by approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, when their usual food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
