Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, because their usual hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
