Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
