Oxygen CoLab
Building Reliable and Affordable Oxygen Markets
Challenge
More than one million people die from hypoxaemia each year in low- and middle-income countries, many of them children, despite oxygen being an essential and effective treatment. More than 60% of health facilities in these settings lack reliable oxygen supplies. The challenge is not only producing oxygen or donating equipment. Health facilities also need equipment that works in difficult conditions, dependable maintenance and distribution, trained staff, workable procurement arrangements and local suppliers that can sustain services over time. Without these systems, equipment can quickly fail and oxygen remains unavailable to patients when they need it.
Approach
DT Global’s Oxygen CoLab addressed the gap between oxygen production and patient access through a whole-system approach. The programme combined targeted grant funding, technical assistance, product innovation, evidence generation and policy engagement to strengthen the conditions for reliable oxygen delivery. The CoLab worked with local respiratory-care businesses to test Oxygen-as-a-Service, a model in which facilities pay for reliable oxygen availability rather than buying and maintaining equipment themselves. Providers combined equipment, maintenance, logistics, training and monitoring, helping health facilities sustain service quality and uptime.
The programme also supported the development of fit-for-purpose equipment, including the PulmO2 oxygen concentrator, and worked with UNICEF and global experts to develop standards and improve market transparency. Alongside pilots, the CoLab engaged governments, funders and health-sector partners to translate evidence into regulatory reforms, procurement approaches and investment decisions that can sustain oxygen access beyond programme funding.
Goals and Results
The Oxygen CoLab established viable, locally led models for reliable and affordable medical oxygen access. The programme exceeded its target for sustainable Oxygen-as-a-Service providers, with three operating at programme close against a target of two. Services were delivered across 63 health facilities, with a 95% facility-retention rate. In Uganda, 20 facilities recorded a 49% reduction in child mortality from hypoxaemia. Trial facilities maintained 100% oxygen uptime despite 215 electricity interruptions over three months. Oxygen-as-a-Service concentrators achieved 82.9% functionality, compared with 20.3% for existing concentrators on the same wards.
The programme also supported the PulmO2, the first oxygen concentrator designed for low-resource settings, with 2,000 units deployed across 23 countries. Its Oxygen Concentrator Directory became the first independent public source of concentrator-performance data for low-resource settings, reaching users in 47 countries.