WHO Issues Alert Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Jabs
Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies points to users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their usual hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.