World Health Organization Raises Alert Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Jabs

Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.

With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.

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

"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis

Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.

The advice encourages countries and companies to increase access, by strategies like voluntary licensing.

A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Jabs Work

These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.

People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Evidence indicates people may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, as their usual appetite return.

Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.

Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.