Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, because their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
