WHO Raises Alert Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Medications
Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
