Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
