Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, by measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, when their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
