Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual hunger return.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
