The problem
Medical oxygen is essential for safe surgery and for treating pneumonia, sepsis, malaria, trauma and other conditions that cause dangerously low blood oxygen levels. Yet access remains deeply unequal: only about 30% of patients in low- and middle-income countries who need oxygen receive it, contributing to an estimated 9 million deaths each year, including 1.6 million children under five.
This gap persists not only because of limited supply, but because oxygen systems are difficult to sustain. Oxygen plants are costly and complex to operate; piping systems require specialized installation; spare parts and maintenance are often unreliable or unaffordable; and limited financing leaves ministries struggling to keep systems running. When these systems fail, patients are left without this essential medicine.
Our response
The Innovations for Enhanced Access to Oxygen (INNOVATE) project is introducing and evaluating practical solutions to make medical oxygen more reliable and sustainable in low- and middle-income countries. Working in five countries, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Senegal, the project pilots innovative oxygen production and piping technologies alongside new business models designed to keep oxygen systems functional over time. These include approaches to simplify installation, reduce maintenance needs, improve spare parts availability and strengthen distribution so that oxygen reaches patients who need it.
Working in partnership with PATH as the lead implementing partner and alongside ministries of health, local businesses and civil society organizations, INNOVATE is generating real-world evidence on cost, performance and feasibility to inform national scale-up. By supporting regulatory pathways, commercialization strategies and policy engagement, the project aims to create the conditions for affordable, sustainable oxygen systems that extend beyond pilot sites and strengthen long-term health system resilience.
Our partners
PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.
International consortium of partners:
