Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, by approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
