World Health Organization Sounds Warning Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.

Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Despite the current best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.

The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via measures including licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Function

GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.

Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.

Research points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their usual appetite return.

Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.

Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.