The first World Health Organization (WHO) Road to Oxygen Access meeting recently concluded in Dakar, Senegal, uniting 63 member states as well as UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, donors and academic experts.
Among the most shocking images from the Covid-19 pandemic were of people gasping for air, unable to breathe, their blood oxygen so severely depleted that some died in ambulances lined up outside hospitals.
Continued investment and technical support for the expansion, operation and maintenance of oxygen infrastructure are still urgently needed to improve overall health outcomes and achieve universal health coverage, according to Unitaid.
Among the most shocking images from the COVID-19 pandemic were of people gasping for air, unable to breathe, their blood oxygen so severely depleted that some died in ambulances lined up outside hospitals. In wealthier countries, there was a panicked rush to expand ventilator capacity to deal with the surge of people experiencing acute respiratory distress.