The Global Health Body Sounds Concern Over Critical Shortage of Obesity Medications

Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.

Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.

Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Even in the current best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.

The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, by measures such as licensing agreements.

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

How Weight-Loss Drugs Work

These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.

Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, when their normal hunger return.

Being overweight or obese raises your chance for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.

Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.