World Health Organization Sounds Warning Over Critical Shortage of Obesity Injections
Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, by measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
