The Global Health Body Issues Alert Over Critical Lack of Weight-Loss Injections

Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its initial guidance on the medications.

With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.

Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, explains the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Even in the present best projected scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.

The advice encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through measures like licensing agreements.

Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Function

The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.

People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Research indicates patients may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical food cravings come back.

Being overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.

Obesity concerns people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.