Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
