WHO Raises Concern Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
