Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the production of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, because their normal hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
