Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
