March 25, 2025
Overview:
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant global weaknesses in medical oxygen systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many hospitals faced challenges due to broken equipment, a shortage of trained biomedical engineers, and poor coordination. This article, co-authored by OHT’s Dr. Varun Manhas, explores the challenges and local solutions related to medical oxygen security in LMICs, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Question:
How can local and grassroots interventions improve medical oxygen security in LMICs?
The Findings:
- The article finds that medical oxygen systems in many LMICs remain fragile due to decades of underinvestment in biomedical engineering, poor equipment maintenance, and limited coordination.
- Around one-third of oxygen concentrators in some sub-Saharan African countries were non-functional, and many of the remaining ones delivered insufficient oxygen.
- Local and grassroots interventions have shown promising results.
- Programs such as the African Women in Biomedical Engineering Alliance are strengthening the workforce through mentorship.
- The Oxygen Alliance is improving training, knowledge-sharing, and repair networks.
- In India, a national medical oxygen grid has helped track and manage oxygen demand and supply in real time.
- Ethiopia’s rapid device maintenance campaigns restored critical equipment and built long-term capacity.
- In Malawi, local engineers repaired hundreds of oxygen concentrators using cost-saving techniques and even developed new tools to improve device monitoring.
- Locally driven solutions can significantly improve medical oxygen access and resilience in LMICs.
Read the article published in the Lancet Global Health here.
