Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
