Less than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected case, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase access, via measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
