Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
