Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
