The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.

Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the body.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.

The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.

A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate

The injections mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people eat less.

People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.

Studies suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.

To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.

Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.