WHO Sounds Alert Over Severe Lack of Obesity Jabs
Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your chance for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.