The Global Health Body Sounds Concern Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs
Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the drug, as their normal appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
