Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
