The Global Health Body Issues Warning Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the medications.

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

According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Even in the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.

The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, via measures like licensing agreements.

Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work

The injections replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.

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

Research indicates people may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, as their typical hunger return.

To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.

Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.