WHO urges member states to ensure access to medical oxygen in poor countries

UNICEF Ethiopia / Flickr cc

The 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) late last week resolved to recognize the critical role of medical oxygen in the treatment of low blood oxygen levels in surgery, trauma, and many diseases, including pneumonia and tuberculosis—especially for older people and vulnerable populations.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).

"In developing countries many health facilities lack uninterrupted access to medical oxygen, resulting in preventable deaths—a problem that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when the need for medical oxygen has exceeded the capacities of many health systems," the WHO said in its announcement.

The WHO has included oxygen on its Model List of Essential Medicines since 1979 and on the Essential Medicines List for Children since its first edition in 2007.

This situation underscores the urgent need for global collaboration and resource allocation to ensure a consistent supply of medical oxygen to healthcare providers and safeguard countless individuals' lives.

David Margraf, PharmD, PhD

David Margraf, PharmD, PhD, pharmaceutical research scientist at the Resilient Drug Supply Project (RDSP), said that there were unprecedented demands for medical-grade oxygen in some regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. RDSP is part of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), publisher of CIDRAP News.

"Some healthcare facilities resorted to using less-purified, non-medical grade oxygen, which comes with associated risks," he said. "This situation underscores the urgent need for global collaboration and resource allocation to ensure a consistent supply of medical oxygen to healthcare providers and safeguard countless individuals' lives."

Specialized infrastructure required

"This resolution recognizes that medical oxygen generation and distribution requires a specialized infrastructure," the WHO statement said. "It also underscores the need for its delivery to be safely and accurately executed using good quality medical devices through interdisciplinary health workforce, including engineers."

The resolution urges WHO member states to build national and subnational systems to ensure uninterrupted access to medical oxygen to healthcare facilities in both urban and rural areas.

"It underlines WHO's role in supporting Member States through developing guidelines, technical specifications, forecasting tools, training materials and other resources, and by providing technical support especially designed to improve access to medical oxygen to meet the needs of health systems in developing countries," the WHO wrote.