WHO Issues Warning Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Injections

Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first advice on the therapies.

Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.

According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.

The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.

A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work

These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people eat less.

Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.

Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical food cravings come back.

Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.

Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.