World Health Organization Issues Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.

Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.

According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.

The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through measures like patent sharing.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Work

The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.

Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Research points to users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal appetite return.

Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.

Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.