Reducing global inequities in medical oxygen access

Associate Professor Hamish Graham and his colleagues emphasise that prioritising medical oxygen access is crucial for building resilient health systems worldwide.

Pictured: Associate Professor Hamish Graham

A groundbreaking report led by Associate Professor Hamish Graham, a paediatrician at Australia's Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and Dr Carina King, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, has revealed the critical state of medical oxygen availability worldwide.

This comprehensive study, published in The Lancet Global Health and covered by The New York Times, sheds light on a pressing global health issue.

The research team found that while over 370 million people require medical oxygen each year, fewer than one in three actually receive it. This shortage disproportionally affects low- and middle-income countries.

The report estimates that an investment of $6.8 billion is needed to significantly improve oxygen availability globally. It also underscores the wide-ranging applications of medical oxygen, from treating pneumonia and severe infections to supporting surgeries and managing chronic lung conditions.