WHO Issues Alert Over Acute Scarcity of Weight-Loss Jabs
Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
