World Health Organization Issues Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Obesity Injections

Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.

Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.

Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.

The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, through strategies including licensing agreements.

A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Jabs Function

These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.

People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Research suggests users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, because their typical food cravings resume.

Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.

Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.