The Global Health Body Sounds Alert Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.

Given over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.

According to estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the agency.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.

The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via approaches such as licensing agreements.

A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Work

GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.

Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.

Evidence indicates people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, when their normal hunger come back.

To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.