World Health Organization Raises Warning Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, through approaches such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, as their typical appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
