Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, as their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
