WHO Issues Concern Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Injections

Fewer than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.

Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the agency.

Skinny Jab Supply Crisis

Despite the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.

The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via measures including patent sharing.

The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Function

These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.

Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.

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

Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.