Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
