Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
