Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, because their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
