Under one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
