The Global Health Body Issues Concern Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Injections

Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.

According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.

The advice urges countries and companies to increase availability, via approaches like voluntary licensing.

Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Operate

The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.

Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, because their usual appetite come back.

Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.

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