WHO warning over shortage of obesity jabs

Less than 1 in 10 people who could benefit from obesity vaccines like Wegovy are able to get them, he warns World Health Organization while publishing its first guide on drugs.

With more than a billion people worldwide now obese, there are calls for wider and fairer access to GLP-1 drugs.

According to projections, if precautions are not taken, more than two billion people will be obese by 2030.

The World Health Organization says high costs, limited production capacity and supply chain constraints are the main obstacles to universal access to injections that could help people lose significant weight.

It has already added them to the list of “essential” medicines that countries are recommended to provide.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Our new guidance recognizes that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive, lifelong care.

“While medicine alone will not solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 therapies could help millions of people overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms.”

WHO says these drugs, sometimes called weak shots, represent a new chapter in a gradual conceptual shift in how society approaches obesity from a “lifestyle condition” to a complex, preventable and treatable chronic disease.

The drugs can be taken long-term for six months or more, but must be prescribed along with diet and exercise advice to help people maintain their weight.

The World Health Organization says few people worldwide have access to them. “Our biggest concern is equitable access,” Tedros said.

Even under the current best-projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 treatments could only cover about 100 million people, according to the WHO; This accounts for less than 10% of those who need them.

The guidance calls on countries and companies to expand access through strategies such as voluntary licensing; In this strategy, a pharmaceutical company allows others to make affordable, non-branded versions of its patented drug.

The patent on semaglutide, the key ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, is expected to expire in many countries in 2026, meaning other drugmakers will soon have the freedom to produce and sell cheaper versions in places like India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey.

WHO says countries should also create healthier environments to promote health and prevent obesity.

GLP-1 drugs mimic a natural hormone that slows digestion, suppresses appetite and increases feelings of fullness, allowing people to eat less.

In the UK, injections are prescription-only medicines; This means that they can only be prescribed by a healthcare professional to a person in clinical need.

Some are available on the NHS, but more are sold privately.

There is a black market, and to be safe, people need to avoid buying from unregulated sellers such as beauty salons or through social media.

People usually begin to lose weight within a few weeks of starting weekly injections.

Research suggests people may lose most of the weight However, within a year of stopping the medication, normal food cravings return.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

Obesity affects people in every country and has been linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide by 2024, according to the World Health Organization.