The Global Health Body Raises Alert Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Medications

Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its inaugural advice on the medications.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.

Per projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.

The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.

Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Jabs Work

These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.

Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, because their normal appetite resume.

To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.

Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.