Unitaid invests US$22M in Kenya’s medical oxygen production

KENYA— UNITAID has launched a transformative US$22 million initiative to address critical medical oxygen shortages in sub-Saharan Africa through its newly established East African Program on Oxygen Access (EAPOA).

Funded by the UK government, this program aims to expand access to essential medical oxygen across the region, where prolonged shortages have severely impacted patient outcomes, especially in intensive care.

This initiative will further strengthen regional oxygen production, building on the recent progress of Hewatele, Kenya’s leading medical oxygen provider, which announced plans for East Africa’s first liquid oxygen production facility.

Managed by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the program will work closely with the governments of Kenya and Tanzania, PATH, and various development partners to ensure widespread oxygen access across East Africa.

MedAccess, an international social impact investor, will provide innovative financial support, including volume guarantees, to stabilize oxygen prices and create a sustainable supply.

Central to the EAPOA strategy is constructing a network of liquid oxygen production facilities—known as air separation units—across key locations.

These facilities, based in Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, will not only meet the needs of their home countries but also supply neighboring nations, including Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

This regional approach promises to bring life-saving oxygen closer to underserved communities across the continent.

Medical oxygen is a critical medicine that has no substitutes. It is indispensable for treating numerous diseases, from infectious conditions such as pneumonia, COVID-19, and severe tuberculosis to chronic heart and lung ailments.

Oxygen is also essential in maternal and neonatal care, surgery, and emergency services. Yet, access remains alarmingly low, with some sub-Saharan countries reaching only 10% of the needed oxygen.

The EAPOA initiative is thus committed to tackling these immediate shortages while establishing a sustainable framework to support Africa’s long-term oxygen needs.

During the program’s launch, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Harry Kimtai, highlighted medical oxygen as a critical component of healthcare delivery.

He stressed that Kenya’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) hinges on securing a reliable supply of health products, including oxygen.

Kimtai expressed gratitude for Unitaid’s financial and technical support, emphasizing that such collaborations are crucial to ensuring accessible healthcare for all Kenyans.

Unitaid’s Executive Director, Dr. Philippe Duneton, echoed this vision by underscoring the program’s potential to transform healthcare in Africa.

 He emphasized that while medical oxygen is essential to saving lives, many healthcare facilities across the region face severe access challenges.

“Medical oxygen is essential to saving lives,” he stated, “but too many facilities in this region face challenges in accessing it.”

Dr. Duneton highlighted that the Mombasa facility is just the beginning of a broader initiative to make oxygen a basic right for all needy patients, particularly in emergencies.

Eduarda Mendonca-Gray, the UK’s Deputy Development Director, also commended Unitaid and its partners’ collaborative spirit in championing this critical healthcare mission.

She highlighted the importance of oxygen, especially in maternal and neonatal care, surgery, and emergency treatments, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to supporting increased oxygen accessibility across Africa.

The EAPOA effort is expected to have a significant impact, with estimates stating that it might save up to 154,000 lives in Kenya and Tanzania alone over the next decade.

This is accomplished by treating life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, complications from preterm births, and surgical emergencies.

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