Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing 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 calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, as their usual food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
