Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so people eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their normal appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
