Despite the declared end of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2023, the global need for medical oxygen remains critical, warns Leith Greenslade of the Every Breath Counts (EBC) coalition. Speaking at today’s (30th August) gasworld webinar, Greenslade highlighted the alarming persistence of oxygen shortages in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and called for a renewed global commitment to address the issue.
“Even though COVID deaths have dropped dramatically, we still have millions of people dying from pneumonia each year, and that’s all over the world,” Greenslade stated, revealing that pneumonia remains the leading infectious killer, claiming around 2.2 million lives annually.
She stressed that the issue is not confined to low-income countries; even high-income nations see significant mortality from pneumonia, particularly among the elderly.
Broader applications of medical oxygen
Greenslade underscored that the need for medical oxygen extends beyond pneumonia. It is vital for managing chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is on the rise due to smoking, air pollution and aging populations. “The same trends we’re seeing in high-income countries for these massive populations of COPD patients are happening also across LMICs,” she noted.
In addition to chronic diseases, oxygen is crucial in emergency and surgical care. “Think about surgery. The need for oxygen is needed for surgery. Think about something like road traffic accidents,” Greenslade explained, highlighting that oxygen is essential for safe surgical procedures and trauma care.
She also pointed out the growing need for oxygen in conflict zones and areas affected by climate change and rising air pollution, which exacerbate respiratory conditions.
Risk of future pandemics
A major concern highlighted during the webinar was the high likelihood of future respiratory pandemics. “There’s a 66% chance that we’ll face another COVID-like pandemic in our lifetimes that could kill ten million or more people,” Greenslade warned.
This statistic serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for preparedness. “Countries need to get into the mindset: We’ve got to prepare for the next one. We have to serve our underlying patient need now, which is growing, and we need to make sure we have the capacity for when the next respiratory pandemic hits,” she urged.
Lessons learned and the way forward
Reflecting on the pandemic years, Greenslade identified three critical areas of improvement: planning, payment and partnership. These “three Ps” are essential to closing the medical oxygen gap worldwide.
Planning: Greenslade stressed the importance of national oxygen plans to identify and address specific needs, such as the types of oxygen production facilities required and the necessary workforce, including biomedical engineers and trained clinicians.
“National governments need plans. It’s much easier if you have a national plan to work with industry and minimise the risk of being inundated with donations of medical equipment that you don’t need,” she said, commending the World Health Organisation’s efforts to push for comprehensive oxygen strategies through its oxygen resolution adopted by the World Health Assembly.
Payment: Addressing the financial aspect, Greenslade spoke on the need for sustainable funding mechanisms. “If a country doesn’t have enough medical oxygen, it’s because they’re not buying it,” she pointed out, emphasising the need for both domestic funding and international aid to secure oxygen supplies.
The Global Fund’s involvement in supporting oxygen availability, with more than $700 million allocated to over 100 countries, was noted as a positive step. However, Greenslade warned that the financial efforts so far have only “taken the edge off a massive problem,” indicating much more needs to be done.
Partnership: The pandemic revealed significant gaps in collaboration between global health agencies and the oxygen industry. “Prior to COVID, there really weren’t any effective partnerships between global health agencies and the oxygen industry,” Greenslade explained.
This led to inefficiencies and delays in the emergency response. She called for stronger partnerships moving forward, citing the newly formed Global Oxygen Alliance as a critical platform for building better relationships between the public and private sectors.
A call to action
Despite the progress made, Greenslade’s message was clear: the job is far from finished. The gaps in oxygen supply remain vast, particularly in LMICs.
“Even with over a billion dollars in funding, it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” she stated. The need for ongoing political will, funding, and industry collaboration is crucial to prevent a repeat of the oxygen shortages experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need to keep the memories alive of what it was like when we saw all those people dying for lack of access to oxygen.” Her call to action serves as a powerful reminder that global health preparedness requires not just readiness for future pandemics but also addressing existing health disparities and ensuring that every breath counts.
The full webinar, ‘Medical Gases: Oxygen and Beyond’, is available to watch On Demand here.
