The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs
Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, as their usual food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
