Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to expand access, by measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
