World Health Organization Raises Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Jabs

Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.

Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the organization.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.

The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, through strategies such as patent sharing.

Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate

GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.

Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their normal hunger return.

Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.

Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.