Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
