WHO Raises Alert Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Injections
Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen access, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
