Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, when their usual hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
