Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
