WHO Issues Warning Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections
Under one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, by measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their usual hunger return.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.