Under 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, by strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
