Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the medication, when their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
