Emergency oxygen response for COVID-19

The O2 Taskforce is coordinating access to emergency oxygen for COVID-19 patients in LMICs. Since the start of the pandemic, affordable, sustainable access to oxygen has been a growing challenge LMICs. COVID-19 has put huge pressure on health systems, with hospitals running out of oxygen, has resulted in preventable deaths and huge burden on families of hospitalized patients. Oxygen is an essential medicine, and despite being vital for the effective treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, access in LMICs is limited due to cost, infrastructure and logistical barriers. The O2 Taskforce has identified an immediate need of approx. US$ 90 million over the next 1 – 2 months, with a US$1.6 billion need estimated for LMICs over the next 12 months to support. The proposal will secure funding ($10 million) for acute oxygen COVID-19 needs in LMICs as identified by the O2 Taskforce. The funds will support countries to access oxygen and to unlock available resources to build more sustainable, resilient oxygen systems. Activities may include technical assistance for implementation of oxygen services, investments for market interventions and for additional country assessments/development of country funding proposals. This investment is intended to accelerate and amplify the impact of follow on scale-up funding.