World Health Organization Raises Alert Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.

Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.

The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies including licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Operate

GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.

People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.

Evidence points to users may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical appetite return.

Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.