WHO Raises Concern Over Acute Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications
Under 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
