Nairobi — This week, Unitaid, funded by the UK government, announced a significant US$22 million investment to support the establishment of Africa's first regional liquid oxygen manufacturing program, aimed at improving access to medical oxygen in sub-Saharan Africa.
The initiative will focus on East and Southern Africa, with production facilities set to be established in Kenya and Tanzania.
This pioneering program is designed to increase medical oxygen production in East Africa by 300% and reduce oxygen prices by up to 27%, making it more affordable for healthcare systems across the region. This initiative will enable the treatment of thousands of additional patients each month, significantly enhancing healthcare outcomes.
Harry Kimtai, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Kenya, emphasized the importance of medical oxygen in healthcare delivery. "The key role of medical oxygen at all levels of care cannot be emphasized. Kenya's drive towards universal health coverage requires uninterrupted access to all health products and technologies, including medical oxygen. We are delighted that this new liquid oxygen manufacturing plant will boost availability across the country and not just in the Coast region," he stated. Kimtai congratulated Unitaid and its partners for their funding and technical support, expressing enthusiasm for further collaborations to enhance the availability of essential health products.
Unitaid Executive Director Dr. Philippe Duneton highlighted the transformative potential of the initiative. "The Mombasa facility is just the beginning of a larger effort to transform oxygen access across Africa. Medical oxygen is critical for saving lives, yet too many health facilities in this region struggle with access. By working together with Kenyan and Tanzanian manufacturers and other partners, we are ensuring that oxygen is no longer a luxury but a basic right for all patients, especially in times of critical need," he said.
The UK's Deputy Development Director, Eduarda Mendonca-Gray, expressed her support for the initiative, stating, "I am pleased to see the collaborative efforts of our partners towards this essential lifesaving initiative. Medical oxygen is a lifesaving essential medicine without a substitute. It is vital for maternal and newborn survival, as well as surgery, emergency, and critical care. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure accessibility for all."
With a scalable model, this initiative aims to serve as a blueprint for expanding oxygen access across Africa, addressing critical shortages sustainably. The program will see the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) lead market strategy efforts, while PATH will focus on community and civil society engagement. The three Kenyan and Tanzanian manufacturers involved will expand liquid oxygen production and distribution.
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Over the next decade, this initiative has the potential to save up to 154,000 lives in Kenya and Tanzania alone, addressing life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia, preterm birth complications, and surgical emergencies. Additionally, it will prepare East and Southern African countries for future respiratory pandemics by enhancing health security through regional and local production of medical oxygen.
This program aligns with Unitaid's broader strategy to increase regional and local production of essential health products in Africa, supporting continental initiatives to enhance health security, such as Africa CDC's Partnership for the Harmonization of African Health Products Manufacturing.
