Clinton Health Access Initiative Inc

Hypoxemia is deadly serious: it increases the risk of dying seven-fold, no matter the underlying illness, and affects more than one-in-six hospitalized children. A staple of modern medicine for over 100 years, medical oxygen is the only treatment for hypoxemia or too little oxygen in the blood. Oxygen is taken for granted in high-income countries, but it is often unavailable in lower-income countries where health facilities lack the tools to diagnose and treat hypoxemia. Nearly 80 percent of hypoxemic patients in these countries do not receive oxygen. Poor access to medical oxygen therefore leads to over one million preventable deaths each year. Every severely ill patient needs oxygen—especially those with serious respiratory conditions like COVID-19. The worst pandemic in a century, COVID-19 has brought unparalleled attention to the value of oxygen. With it, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the oxygen access gap. We are ready for this moment. Since 2015, we have worked with our government partners in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda to build the evidence base, refine our approach, and lay a foundation for scale. Breathing New Life will achieve equitable, sustainable oxygen access by supporting governments to build robust oxygen ecosystems that: 1) improve clinical oxygen use, 2) develop coordinated supply partnerships, 3) secure sustainable financing, and 4) strengthen data systems. Success in these countries, which we estimate represent 30 percent of hypoxemia-related deaths globally, will demonstrate that equitable access to oxygen is as attainable as it is necessary. In 2022, CHAI received US$25 million in new funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the ELMA Foundation, which will get CHAI and our partner countries started on long-term oxygen solutions. However, the work is far from over with a US$10 million gap remaining in the project, and more than US$60 million is needed to implement the program in 15 additional countries.