Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
