WHO Sounds Warning Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Injections

Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.

With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.

According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the body.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Even under the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.

The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, via strategies including patent sharing.

Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.

How Obesity Jabs Work

The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.

Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.

Research indicates people may regain a significant portion within a year of stopping the drug, when their normal food cravings resume.

To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.

Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.