Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, by approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, when their usual hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
