Less than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand access, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their normal hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
