Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase access, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, because their typical appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
