WHO Sounds Warning Over Critical Shortage of Obesity Injections
Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, because their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
