Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
