Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, through measures like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
