Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, by measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
