WHO Raises Concern Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, as their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
