WHO Issues Concern Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Under 10% of people that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, as their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.