World Health Organization Sounds Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Obesity Injections
Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
