World Health Organization Sounds Alert Over Acute Lack of Weight-Loss Medications
Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
People typically see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
