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Shortage of Weight Loss Jabs: The world is troubled by excess weight. A few years ago, medicine for this was made in countries like America and Europe. This medicine soon became popular but the problem is that only people from rich countries are able to buy this medicine. Therefore, the World Health Organization has warned that this medicine should be delivered to all the needy people in a judicious manner.
Shortage of Weight Loss Jabs: Two years ago, hormonal therapy for weight loss was introduced in America and Europe. Two companies came forward to produce GLP-1 content. Novo Nordisk made medicines named Ozempic and Vegovy, while Eli Lilly launched medicines named Monjaro and Zepbound in the US and Europe markets. After initial hesitation, these medicines caught the market and started showing the expected results. But sadly, at present only the people of western countries are able to afford this medicine because the price of these medicines is very high. Mount Jaro was launched in India also last year. This medicine is being sold indiscriminately in India also. But people of most countries who need it are not able to buy it. The World Health Organization says that currently one billion people are overweight and if this trend continues, 2 billion people will become obese by 2030. In such a situation, if these medicines do not reach the needy people in a fair manner, the situation can become dire.
2 billion people will become obese by 2030
WHO says that only 1 in 10 needy people have access to these medicines. 9 people remain like this in whom obesity is like a crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first guideline and warned that if this medicine is not made available to everyone, then more than two billion people worldwide will become obese by 2030. WHO says that the high price of medicines, limited production capacity and supply chain problems are creating major obstacles in the universal access of these medicines. WHO has already included these medicines in its list of essential medicines.
Medicine will become cheaper in 2026
According to WHO, at present the production capacity of weight loss therapy i.e. Glap-1 therapy is for a maximum of 10 crore people. Compared to the number of people suffering from obesity across the world, this number is only 10 percent. In the new guidelines, WHO has appealed to various countries and pharmaceutical companies to increase the access to these medicines through strategies like voluntary licensing. With this licensing, any pharmaceutical company can give its patent to others, which will allow the medicine to be made in non-branded version. This medicine will become cheaper. Presently this medicine is available in India for around Rs 17 to 25 thousand per month. But if it is made non-branded then its price can be below Rs 1000. Cabbage mainly contains semaglutide. The patent of Novo Nordisk, the company making this medicine, is expiring in 2026 in many countries. This means that other companies in countries like India, Canada, China, Brazil and Türkiye will soon be able to make and sell cheaper generic versions of it. WHO also says that countries have to create a healthy environment so that better lifestyle can be promoted among people and obesity can be prevented.
It is important to eliminate obesity
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that our new guideline recognizes that obesity is a chronic disease, which can be treated with holistic and life-long care. Although medicine alone will not solve the global health crisis, GLP-1 therapy (the current drug) could help millions of people overcome obesity and reduce its harms. WHO says these medicines are part of a major change in the way obesity is understood. Obesity is not being considered a lifestyle problem, but a complex, preventable and treatable chronic disease. These medicines can be taken for a long period of six months or more. WHO says that whenever this medicine is taken, it should not be taken without consulting doctors. To reduce obesity, proper diet and exercise are most important. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. According to WHO, obesity affects people of every country and in the year 2024, it will take the lives of 37 lakh people worldwide.
