Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, via approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
