Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
