World Health Organization Issues Concern Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs
Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
