To help scale-up the undoubtedly critical humanitarian aspect of the medical oxygen supply chain, an unavoidable fact is that business and commercial interests must also be considered. Without investment from public and private stakeholders, the gases and equipment industry would be unable to advance necessary technology innovation, which – as we’ve witnessed – is vital to meet heightened demands for medical oxygen.
Leading USAID’s market access activities at the Centre for Innovation and Impact, Nikki Tyler has helped push the development and implementation of USAID’s oxygen response for Covid-19.
Before the pandemic, the medical oxygen infrastructure was already underfunded in low and middle income countries (LMICs), according to Tyler.
50% of healthcare facilities in Africa do not have reliable access to essential oxygen, with fewer than 20% of healthcare workers trained in oxygen therapy.
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