Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand access, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
