Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen access, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, because their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
