WHO Raises Concern Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Medications
Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
