WHO Issues Alert Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.

Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.

According to projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase availability, via approaches like voluntary licensing.

Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Jabs Function

The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.

Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.

Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, when their usual hunger come back.

To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.

Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.