WHO Issues Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Obesity Injections
Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, by measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
