Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, because their normal food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
