Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected case, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
