WHO Sounds Concern Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Medications
Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to widen access, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their typical food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
