Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, via measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
