Under 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
