By Kofi Owusu Asamoah
Today marks World Oxygen Day, a vital reminder of the importance of medical oxygen as an essential, life-saving health commodity. Oxygen is not only critical in emergency and intensive care but also in treating childhood pneumonia, maternal complications, surgical patients, and infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Lassa fever, and influenza.
Across Ghana and the wider West African subregion, significant progress has been made through collaborative efforts to expand access to oxygen. Initiatives such as the Critical Health Regional Medical Oxygen Infrastructure Project, aimed at enhancing and sustaining access to medical oxygen innovations in West Africa, spearheaded by BKANK Group and supported by national governments, development partners, and frontline health workers, are strengthening health systems and saving lives.
However, challenges remain. Many healthcare facilities across the region still face shortages of oxygen cylinders, concentrators, reliable supply chains, and trained biomedical personnel. These gaps place the most vulnerable, particularly children, pregnant women, and critically ill patients, at heightened risk.
On this World Oxygen Day, we call on regional leaders, policymakers, researchers, and international partners to:
- Invest in sustainable critical oxygen infrastructure to ensure reliable access for all.
- Support capacity building for biomedical engineers and health workers.
- Promote cross-border collaboration to address supply chain bottlenecks.
- Champion equity so that every patient, regardless of location, has timely access to oxygen when needed.
- Support legislation recognising oxygen as an essential medicine, helping to reduce preventable deaths from hypoxaemia and respiratory illnesses.
- Strengthen pandemic preparedness and response (PPR) and healthcare system resilience.
- Improve equitable access to medical oxygen for more than 400 million people in West Africa.
- Establish regional self-sufficiency in oxygen supply, reducing reliance on imports and emergency aid.
Medical oxygen is not a luxury; it is a human right. By working together, we can ensure that no child, mother, or patient loses their life due to lack of access to this essential medicine.
