WHO Issues Concern Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Jabs

Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.

Given over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.

Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the body.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.

The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, via approaches such as licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Drugs Function

GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.

Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.

Studies suggests people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical hunger come back.

Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.

Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.