Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand access, through approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their typical hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
