Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase access, via measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, because their usual hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
