Strengthening Medical Oxygen Ecosystem Through Lessons Learnt During COVID-19 Pandemic

Oxygen is an essential medicine, but the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged access to affordable and sustainable medical oxygen globally.  The inordinately large clinical demands at hospitals in low- and middle-income countries exceeded available oxygen supply, resulting in preventable deaths. 

Countries in the South-East Asia region responded to the oxygen crisis in many ways, strengthening their medical oxygen ecosystems, sharing resources with nearby countries, and developing innovative ways to improve access to medical oxygen. We investigated the Lessons Learnt from these responses. 

A regional webinar on Strengthening Medical Oxygen Ecosystem Through Lessons Learnt During COVID-19 Pandemic was organized on 26 April 2022. This webinar aimed to bring the insights from studies of lessons learnt and through consultations with leading experts on oxygen management strategies. These learnings can contribute to more effective and evidence-based planning for stronger and more resilient medical and oxygen ecosystems in the region.