WHO Sounds Alert Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.

Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.

According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Even under the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.

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

The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate

The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.

Patients commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, as their usual food cravings resume.

Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.