WHO Sounds Warning Over Acute Lack of Obesity Jabs

Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.

Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.

Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Even in the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.

The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by measures including voluntary licensing.

A patent on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Drugs Work

GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.

People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal food cravings resume.

To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.