WHO Raises Concern Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Medications

Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.

Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.

According to projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Even under the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.

The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.

How Obesity Jabs Operate

These medications replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.

Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual food cravings resume.

Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Obesity concerns people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.