World Health Organization Raises Concern Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications

Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.

Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.

Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity

Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.

The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen access, through strategies such as licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Operate

The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.

People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their normal hunger come back.

Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.

Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.