WHO Sounds Alert Over Critical Lack of Weight-Loss Medications
Less than 10% of people who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.