Under one in 10 people that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, via approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
