WHO Raises Warning Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Under 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.

With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.

According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.

The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Operate

These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.

People commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.

Evidence indicates people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical food cravings return.

Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.

Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.