The deadline to submit a proposal is 22 November 2024

To tackle the world’s biggest health challenges, we need innovative new health products that can make resources go farther, help more people, and fix problems that seem unfixable. With our Calls for Proposals, we look for the best new ideas – and then we invest in them.

Medical oxygen is a lifesaving, irreplaceable medicine that is vital for treating conditions such as pneumonia, sepsis, trauma, and complications during childbirth. Yet access remains limited, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where less than half of health facilities are equipped with adequate oxygen supplies.

In August, we published a landscape report that outlined some of the most groundbreaking new tools on the market, or in development, that could be game changers in reaching people in critical need of medical oxygen. Now, we’re calling on researchers, health organizations, academics and companies to submit their proposals for how to address this unacceptable global shortage of medical oxygen in low- and middle-income countries.

We are seeking proposals focused on one of two key areas: introducing new oxygen production and distribution technologies, or developing sustainable business models to maintain pandemic-era investments. The goal is to pilot innovations in low- and middle-income countries where the need is greatest – and take successful solutions to scale with governments and global health products so we can reach as many people as possible. Our approach of investing in promising new innovations has led to the introduction of more than 100 game-changing health products since 2006 – from the world’s most-effective and affordable HIV medicine, to the first-ever child-friendly treatments for TB, to self-collection tools for women to test for cervical cancer.

We’re now stepping up our investments in medical oxygen. Despite its critical role, innovation in oxygen technologies has lagged, with challenges like high maintenance, power consumption, and inconsistent supply impacting availability. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these disparities and spurred unprecedented investments in respiratory care equipment. However, further innovation and support are needed to sustain and scale these improvements.

This initiative aims to ensure hospitals worldwide can provide lifesaving oxygen therapy, reducing mortality – especially – among children and pregnant women. Through collaboration with governments, civil society, and the private sector, we aim to build resilient health systems capable of meeting future pandemic challenges.

Find out more about this call for proposals and how to apply, here.