WHO Raises Warning Over Critical Scarcity of Weight-Loss Injections

Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.

Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis

Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.

The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, by approaches including voluntary licensing.

A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Work

The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.

People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite return.

To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.

Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.