WHO Issues Concern Over Critical Lack of Obesity Medications

Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.

With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.

Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis

Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.

The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies including patent sharing.

Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Operate

The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.

Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.

Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.