The Global Health Body Sounds Warning Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Injections

Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.

Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.

The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by approaches like licensing agreements.

Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate

The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.

Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their normal appetite come back.

Being overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.

Obesity concerns people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.