World Health Organization Raises Alert Over Critical Lack of Obesity Injections

Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial recommendations on the drugs.

With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.

Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Even in the present best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.

The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, by measures such as patent sharing.

A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Function

GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.

Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.

Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings return.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Obesity concerns people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.