World Health Organization Issues Concern Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, because their normal appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
