World Health Organization Sounds Concern Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Medications
Under 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
