Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen availability, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
