WHO Issues Warning Over Acute Lack of Weight-Loss Medications

Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.

With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.

Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even under the present most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.

The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Operate

The injections mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.

Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.

Research points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings come back.

To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.