🔗 Share this article WHO Sounds Concern Over Critical Shortage of Obesity Medications Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies. Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs. According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken. "The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency. Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO. The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies including licensing agreements. A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026. The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users eat less. People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs. Research points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, as their usual hunger resume. Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies. Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies. Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs. According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken. "The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency. Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO. The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, by strategies including licensing agreements. A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026. The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users eat less. People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs. Research points to people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, as their usual hunger resume. Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies. Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.