WHO Sounds Warning Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Injections
Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, as their normal appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
