WHO Sounds Concern Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Jabs
Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
