The Global Health Body Sounds Warning Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs
Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
