Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
