Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, by measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
