Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen availability, via measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, as their typical hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
