World Health Organization Sounds Concern Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Jabs

Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.

Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.

According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.

Skinny Jab Supply Crisis

Despite the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen access, via approaches like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate

GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.

Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.

Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their normal appetite return.

Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.

Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.