The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Severe Shortage of Obesity Injections

Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by strategies such as licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work

The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.

Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, when their normal hunger come back.

To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.