WHO Raises Concern Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications

Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.

With more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.

Based on estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, says the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Operate

These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.

People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings return.

To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.

Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.