World Health Organization Raises Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Obesity Injections

Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.

Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.

Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the body.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.

The advice calls on governments and firms to widen access, through measures such as voluntary licensing.

Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.

How Obesity Jabs Operate

The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.

Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, because their usual hunger resume.

Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.