Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
