Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
