WHO Raises Concern Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections

Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural guidance on the therapies.

With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.

Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.

Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate

These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.

Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.

To be overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.

Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.