Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
