Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.