Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, when their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
