WHO Raises Warning Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Jabs
Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
