COVID-19 oxygen emergency affecting more than half a million people in low and middle income countries every day, as demand increases

Oxygen is an essential drug and, although it is vital for the effective treatment of hospital patients with COVID-19, access to PRFI is limited due to cost, infrastructure and logistical barriers. Healthcare facilities often do not have access to the oxygen they need, resulting in unnecessary loss of life.

Recognizing the central importance of a sustainable supply of oxygen – alongside therapeutics such as dexamethasone – for the treatment of COVID-19, the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator Therapeutics pillar (co-led by Unitaid and Wellcome), takes a new coordinating role and advocating for increased oxygen supply and, in partnership with a consortium led by WHO[1], today announces the launch of a COVID-19 Emergency Oxygen Task Force.

It is estimated that more than half a million people in LMICs currently need 1.1 million oxygen cylinders per day[2], with 25 countries currently reporting surges in demand, the majority in Africa. This supply was limited before COVID-19 and has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, said: “This is a global emergency that requires a truly global response, both from international organizations and donors. Many countries experiencing this demand struggled before the pandemic to meet their daily oxygen needs. It is now more vital than ever that we come together to build on the work that has already been done, with a firm commitment to help the countries most affected as quickly as possible.

The working group identified an immediate funding requirement of $ 90 million to address key challenges related to oxygen access and distribution in up to 20 countries, including Malawi, Nigeria and Afghanistan. . This first group of countries was identified on the basis of assessments coordinated by the WHO health emergencies program, in order to match country needs with potential funding, such as through the World Bank.[3] and the Global Fund. Unitaid and Wellcome will provide an immediate contribution of a total of $ 20 million for emergency response. The urgent and short-term needs of other countries will be measured and costed in the coming weeks, with the overall financing requirement over the next 12 months being estimated by ACT-A at $ 1.6 billion – a figure that will be regularly reviewed by the intervention force.

Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said: “Oxygen saves lives and it is imperative to scale up faster with end-to-end patient-centric solutions that improve clinical outcomes. WHO worked through the Biomedical Consortium to bring together technical, clinical and supply partners with approximately US $ 80 million of biomedical equipment procured for low and middle income countries. The Oxygen Working Group will help spur oxygen uplift through more innovation, funding and capacitation. “

Paul Schreier, Chief Operating Officer at Wellcome, said: “We have made critical progress in providing life-saving clinical care and treatment to patients with COVID-19 over the past year. The impact of the combination of oxygen and dexamethasone in treating critically ill patients has, in particular, been incredible. But global access to advances remains uneven. We urgently need to increase access to medical oxygen to ensure that patients benefit from it, regardless of where they live and their ability to pay. International solidarity is the fastest – and the only – way out of this pandemic. It is a public health, scientific, economic and moral imperative that all the tools be available worldwide. “

The working group brings together key organizations[4] who have been working to improve access to oxygen since the start of the pandemic, including Unitaid, Wellcome, WHO, Unicef, Global Fund, World Bank, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), PATH, the Every Breath Counts and Save the Children coalition. Based on these efforts, partners will focus on four key objectives as part of an emergency response plan: measuring acute and long-term oxygen requirements in LMICs; connect countries to financial partners for their assessed oxygen needs; and support the purchase and supply of oxygen, and related products and services. Other areas under the working group include responding to the need for innovative market-shaping interventions, as well as strengthening advocacy efforts to highlight the importance of access to oxygen in the response to COVID-19.

Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, said: “Oxygen is a simple medical intervention that remains in short supply for far too many people around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken this acute shortage and made it an emergency in its own right. But filling the oxygen gap will not only help treat COVID-19 in countries that are losing far too many save lives. It will also help improve health systems and health outcomes beyond COVID-19 in the long term, including for the many newborns and children who need oxygen to survive.

Editor’s Notes and Context

Even before COVID-19, pneumonia was the world’s largest infectious killer of adults and children, killing 2.5 million people in 2019. The pandemic has exacerbated this problem, especially in countries double-burdens that face high levels of pneumonia and COVID-19. In addition to meeting the immediate needs of the pandemic, the task force would seek to leverage gains in this area to help fight pneumonia in the long term.

About Unitaid

Unitaid is a global health agency committed to finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose and treat disease faster, cheaper and more effectively in low- and middle-income countries. Its work includes funding initiatives to tackle major diseases such as HIV / AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and intersectoral areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address the challenges of advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, as a key member of the COVID Tools Access Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.

About Wellcome

Wellcome supports science to solve pressing health problems that everyone faces. We support discovery research on life, health and wellness, and we address three global health challenges: mental health, global warming and infectious disease.

About who

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, in six regions and more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the most vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that one billion more people benefit from universal health coverage, protect one billion more people from health emergencies and provide one billion more people with better health and health. better well-being.