Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
