Statement on the WHO National Oxygen Scale-Up Framework Meeting

The Oxygen Alliance firmly supports the milestone WHO National Oxygen Scale-Up Framework Meeting: Road to Oxygen Access, held in Senegal from May 14–16, 2024. This pivotal event brought together over 60 Ministries of Health to strategize the implementation of the WHO Increasing Access to Medical Oxygen Resolution. This is a critical step in addressing the global oxygen crisis.

Clause 2 of the resolution emphasises the urgent need for cost-effective national plans to provide quality-assured, affordable medical oxygen systems and trained personnel. This objective aligns with our pillars of advocacy, data and evidence, education, and technology and innovation, and consequently, our mission to advocate the maintenance and repair of biomedical devices, ensuring that healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries can deliver high-quality care.

Strategic Pillars

Our advocacy efforts focus on healthcare technology management, emphasising the critical need for maintaining and repairing medical devices in LMICs. This aligns with the resolution's call for transparent procurement processes and sustained investment in oxygen infrastructure (Clause 2). Our replicable, data-driven approach is critical for developing national plans and ensuring continuous monitoring and improvement of medical oxygen systems (Clause 3). We have recently partnered with the Ministry of Health Ethiopia and 8 counties in Kenya to conduct a situational analysis at various healthcare facilities, and the process has already begun in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Malawi and the Ministry of Health Uganda in the respective countries.

Improving educational standards for biomedical engineers is another key pillar. Through curriculum enhancements and professional development, we align with the revolution's emphasis on training qualified personnel (Clause 4). Currently, under development with funding support from Oxygen Co-Lab, our Biomedical Engineering (BME)-Konza mobile app for biomedical engineers fosters a community of practice, facilitating feedback between engineers and manufacturers for continuous improvement. This aligns with the resolution's call for innovative solutions, ensuring reliable and effective medical oxygen systems.

Strategic Collaborations

Collaboration is central to our approach. We align our analyses and data-driven insights with national healthcare strategies, aiding in integrating situational analyses of key indicators around biomedical engineering capacity, into national plans (Clause 1). By working closely with Ministries of Health, we ensure that our efforts are part of a comprehensive healthcare management strategy. Furthermore, we urge member states to prioritise oxygen in their health plans and budgets, developing cost-effective national oxygen road maps to ensure access and equity.

Our partnerships with NGOs provide valuable field insights, allowing us to respond effectively to the real-world needs of healthcare systems in LMICs. These collaborations bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring that national plans are both practical and impactful. Additionally, we facilitate access to essential maintenance resources and pilot innovative technologies, working with manufacturers to close the loop between innovation, application, and continuous improvement. We call on donors, development finance institutions, the Pandemic Fund, and other funders to continue supporting countries to develop and implement their oxygen road maps, ensuring sustainable investments.

Commitment to Global Health

The WHO National Oxygen Scale-Up Framework Meeting represents a significant milestone in global health. By collaborating with a diverse network of partners, including governments, biomedical engineers, NGOs, and academic institutions, we are committed to making medical oxygen accessible to all. This commitment will improve health outcomes and save lives. Additionally, the meeting underscored essential resolutions related to sustainable financing for oxygen systems (Clause 5), workforce planning (Clause 4), needs identification (Clause 3), and comprehensive monitoring frameworks (Clause 3). The WHO's focus on sustainable local manufacturing and procurement aligns with our advocacy for robust supply chains and resilient healthcare systems (Clause 6). We also call on civil society to stress the urgency of scaling up oxygen systems and hold governments and the global community accountable for oxygen resolution.

The Oxygen Alliance is dedicated to advancing these goals through strategic collaborations and innovative solutions, ensuring that medical oxygen becomes universally accessible. This commitment will significantly enhance global health outcomes and save countless lives. Together, we can make a lasting impact. Join us in this urgent and critical mission.