WHO Sounds Concern Over Acute Lack of Weight-Loss Medications

Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.

Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

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

"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.

The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase access, through strategies like licensing agreements.

Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Jabs Work

The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.

People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.

Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.

Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.