World Health Organization Raises Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Obesity Jabs

Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.

Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.

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

"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.

The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches including licensing agreements.

A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Jabs Operate

GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.

People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.

Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, because their typical hunger come back.

Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.

Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.