Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, via measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
