Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
