Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen access, through strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
