World Health Organization Raises Warning Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications

Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.

With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.

Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, via strategies such as patent sharing.

A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Injections Work

These medications replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.

Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Studies points to users may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, because their typical appetite resume.

Being overweight or obese raises your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.

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