Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, as their typical hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
