The Global Health Body Raises Alert Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Injections
Less than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
