World Health Organization Sounds Warning Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Injections

Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.

Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.

Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the body.

Skinny Jab Supply Crisis

Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.

The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through measures like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Work

The injections replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.

Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Research points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, as their normal hunger resume.

To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.

Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.