The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications
Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
