Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
