Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, as their typical hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
