The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Critical Scarcity of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.

Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.

According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the organization.

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.

The advice urges countries and companies to expand availability, via measures including voluntary licensing.

Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work

The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.

People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings resume.

To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.

Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.