The Global Health Body Issues Warning Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, when their normal food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
