Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
