Under 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their usual hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
