Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
