WHO Raises Concern Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications

Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.

Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the body.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.

The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function

These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.

Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Evidence suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, as their typical hunger resume.

Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.