Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase availability, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates users may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, as their typical food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
