Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand availability, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
