The Global Health Body Sounds Concern Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Under 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.

With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.

Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the body.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.

The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, by approaches such as patent sharing.

A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate

GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.

People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, when their normal hunger return.

Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.

Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.