🔗 Share this article World Health Organization Sounds Concern Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications. Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs. Based on projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken. "The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body. Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization. The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via measures including voluntary licensing. Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026. The Way Obesity Injections Work These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake. Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs. Studies points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical food cravings resume. To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
Fewer than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications. Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs. Based on projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken. "The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body. Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization. The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via measures including voluntary licensing. Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026. The Way Obesity Injections Work These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake. Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs. Studies points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical food cravings resume. To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.