The Global Health Body Sounds Alert Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Jabs
Fewer than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand access, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.