Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, via approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
