WHO Issues Alert Over Critical Shortage of Obesity Medications
Fewer than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, because their usual hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
