Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
