Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
