The problem

Medical oxygen is a lifesaving treatment, yet it remains scarce in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In some countries, hospitals have access to less than 10% of the oxygen they need, putting patients at serious risk. Oxygen is critical for treating pneumonia, COVID-19, severe malaria, tuberculosis, and advanced HIV. It is also essential for newborn care, surgery, and emergency treatment. Each year, 25 million deaths occur from conditions where medical oxygen is often needed but unavailable, including six million deaths from pneumonia alone. 

Despite this urgent need, oxygen remains too expensive, difficult to transport, and in short supply. Many countries lack local production facilities, relying instead on costly imports that face frequent delays. In rural areas, hospitals struggle to get oxygen because transport and storage infrastructure is weak. In many cases, the limited number of suppliers and high production costs keep prices out of reach for hospitals. Without investment in local production, better distribution, and funding support, many health facilities will continue to go without this essential medicine. 

Our response

The East African Program on Oxygen Access (EAPOA) is building a regional network of liquid medical oxygen production facilities to improve access for underserved communities. Using a hub-and-spoke model, large production sites (hubs) will supply smaller facilities and remote locations (spokes), ensuring a more reliable and widespread oxygen supply. The program’s main production hubs – operated by Hewatele and Synergy Gases in Kenya, and Tanzania Oxygen Limited in Tanzania – are in Mombasa and Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. These facilities will not only serve their local areas but also support neighboring countries, strengthening the region’s oxygen supply system. 

Together, these manufacturers will increase production by over 60 tons per day, tripling capacity and expanding treatment access for thousands of patients each month. By boosting supply and fostering competition, the program is expected to lower oxygen costs by up to 27% across the region.  

Funded by Unitaid and led by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), with support from MedAccess and PATH, and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania, the EAPOA is ensuring that lifesaving oxygen becomes a cornerstone of healthcare delivery in East and Southern Africa.