Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
