Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand access, via measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
