Expanding access to safe and affordable medical oxygen at Health Centre IIIs dominated discussions at a recent stakeholder conference convened by the FREO2 Foundation in Kampala.
Medical oxygen is classified as an essential medicine by the World Health Organization, yet delivery systems remain costly and unreliable in many low-resource settings.
In Uganda, limited access to timely oxygen therapy continues to contribute to preventable deaths, particularly among children and mothers.
Health experts at the conference emphasized that oxygen therapy is critical in managing hypoxemia — a dangerous deficiency of oxygen in the blood — commonly linked to childhood pneumonia, neonatal complications and obstetric emergencies. Without prompt intervention, these conditions can rapidly become fatal.
According to the FREO2 Foundation, an estimated five billion people — about 60 percent of the global population — lack access to safe and affordable oxygen, with the burden falling disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries. Primary healthcare facilities face the most severe infrastructure constraints.
In Uganda, stakeholders observed that while referral and regional hospitals have received considerable investment, lower-level facilities such as Health Centre IIIs remain under-equipped to provide consistent oxygen therapy. These facilities, however, serve as the first point of contact for millions of Ugandans, particularly in rural communities.
Dr. Charles Olaro, Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, acknowledged existing infrastructure gaps but outlined government efforts to strengthen oxygen production and supply systems.
“We are trying to address utility challenges so that we generate the oxygen we need and design a supply system capable of effectively serving lower health facilities,” Dr. Olaro said. “The priority is ensuring oxygen reaches lower-level facilities consistently and sustainably.”
He added that training health workers in the clinical use of oxygen is essential to ensure proper utilization and prolong the lifespan of available equipment.
FREO2 Foundation Chief Executive Officer Máire Ruane highlighted the life-saving potential of decentralised oxygen systems, noting that timely access at lower-level facilities could significantly reduce preventable deaths.
“If we can deliver oxygen to children at the right time without waiting for referral to Kampala or Fort Portal, we could save at least 30 percent of those lives,” Ruane said.
Since 2018, FREO2 has partnered with the Ministry of Health and development partners to expand oxygen access in remote and underserved areas. To date, 98 oxygen systems have been installed across 79 facilities nationwide. Of these, 35 are equipped with remote monitoring technology for real-time performance tracking, while 22 operate on solar-powered systems to ensure uninterrupted supply in areas with unstable electricity.
Stakeholders noted that these decentralised and solar-powered models offer practical solutions aligned with Uganda’s infrastructure realities.
Ruane commended the Government of Uganda for developing a national oxygen scale-up plan, adding that the country is among those that influenced a World Health Organization resolution adopted three years ago requiring member states to establish comprehensive oxygen strategies.
Participants called for sustained domestic financing, stronger public-private partnerships and targeted investments to equip Health Centre IIIs with resilient oxygen infrastructure.
As Uganda advances broader health system reforms, stakeholders agreed that prioritising oxygen access beyond referral hospitals could significantly improve survival rates, reduce preventable deaths and enhance equity in healthcare delivery.