Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, when their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
