World Health Organization Issues Alert Over Critical Lack of Obesity Medications
Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may see weight return a year later of stopping the medication, because their normal appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
