- Nearly five billion people, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, lack access to medical oxygen, creating a major global health crisis.
- Researchers urge urgent investment in oxygen infrastructure to prevent future shortages, especially in pandemic situations.
A recent study has revealed that nearly five billion people worldwide, nearly two-thirds of the global population, lack access to medical oxygen, with the most severe shortages found in low- and middle-income countries.
The study, published in The Lancet Global Health Commission on Medical Oxygen Security, provides the first comprehensive estimate of disparities in medical oxygen availability, highlighting significant coverage gaps and the financial resources needed to address them.
Medical oxygen is a vital element in healthcare, essential for treating conditions such as respiratory diseases, surgical complications, trauma, and maternal and child health emergencies.
Researchers, including experts from the University of Melbourne, Australia, emphasize that ensuring the availability of medical oxygen is crucial for pandemic preparedness, citing the oxygen shortages seen during the COVID-19 pandemic as a deadly consequence of inadequate resources.
The study found that 82 percent of patients who require medical oxygen live in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly 70 percent of these cases concentrated in South and East Asia, the Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite the critical need, fewer than one in three patients in these regions receive adequate oxygen due to gaps in healthcare infrastructure, supply chain issues, and insufficient quality control.
The situation is especially severe in sub-Saharan Africa, where 91 percent of patients lack access, and in South Asia, where 78 percent are affected.
A case study in the report focuses on India's experience during the COVID-19 pandemic when reliance on third-party suppliers exacerbated the crisis.
Researchers from One Health Trust in India noted that as demand soared, black-market sales and hoarding worsened the shortage, prompting desperate pleas for oxygen on social media and legal interventions to mandate supply replenishments.
The commission’s report calls for global collaboration among governments, global health organizations, industry leaders, and civil society to strengthen healthcare systems and ensure broader access to medical oxygen.
Edited by Annette George
