WHO Raises Warning Over Severe Lack of Obesity Injections
Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so users eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.