Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
