World Health Organization Issues Warning Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Jabs

Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the medications.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.

Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

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

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Work

These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.

Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.

To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.

Excess weight impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.