WHO Sounds Warning Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections

Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.

With over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.

Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, says the agency.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Even under the present most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, through strategies such as patent sharing.

A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Work

The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.

People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.

Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal food cravings resume.

To be overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.