Less than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
