ZAMBIA— The Ministry of Health (MOH) Zambia via the support of the government of Sweden, the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), and the United Children’s Education Fund has broken ground on a US$1.7 million Medical Oxygen production plant at Kitwe Teaching Hospital.

At the same event, the Minister of Health, Hon MP Sylvia T. Masebo officially launched the country’s five-year (2022-2026) National Medical Oxygen Strategic Plan.

The strategic plan was supported by Partners in Health (PATH) and will cost the government an estimated US$1.6 billion to fulfill.

The new production plant will serve 5 districts in the Copperbelt province that include 42 healthcare centers of which 16 health centers are for basic emergency obstetric and newborn care.

Through an UN-to-UN agreement, UNICEF engaged with UNOPS to undertake this Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen plant construction project.

The plant consists of design and technical services, oxygen plant building works, a backup generator (130kVA) and its shed, power correction stabilizers, and a duplex PSA oxygen plant.

This duplex PSA plant is expected to produce 100–120 cylinders (50 Litres/Cylinder) of oxygen per day unless closed for maintenance.

As part of the project, and in addition to the installation, plant operators will be trained on basic maintenance and operations of the PSA oxygen plant to ensure sustainability.

The project will be implemented over a period of twelve months and is expected to be handed over in 2024.

Ambassador of Sweden to Zambia, H.E. Johan Hallenborg stated at the ceremony, “Sweden is committed to supporting the Government of the Republic of Zambia to strengthen their health system and build resilience that will ensure the provision of quality essential health services.”

The Ambassador noted that it was important that investments that were initially meant for the COVID-19 pandemic continue being leveraged to improve the well-being of all Zambians.

H.E. Hallenborg recognized that oxygen therapy is an essential medicine that is vital for ending preventable deaths, especially for mothers and children.

The health minister on the other noted that COVID-19 had taught the world that access to oxygen can be the difference between life and death for many patients.

She added that Oxygen was a critical treatment for children with pneumonia, which remains the leading infectious killer of children under 5 years globally.

“Thanks to the generous contributions of Sweden and UNICEF, the Government of the Republic of Zambia is now in a better position to respond to the needs of the patients requiring oxygen therapy every day. This will help to save many lives,” said Hon Masebo.

Dr. Penelope Campbell, UNICEF Representative in Zambia said, “Oxygen is an essential medicine for treating children who suffer from this disease. Thus, it is a priority for UNICEF to bring oxygen closer to children and other patients who need it.”

On his part, UNOPS East and Southern Africa Director, Rainer Frauenfeld noted, “UNOPS is determined to complete the project on schedule so that benefits of the project can be achieved on time… the project will go a long way in providing Oxygen supply to the beneficiary communities in the Copperbelt region and its environs.”

Dr. Nanthalile Mugala, PATH’s Chief of Africa Region noted that PATHS efforts were now going to be focused heavily on effectively coordinating medical oxygen partners and supporting the Government of Zambia through the Ministry of Health to raise the US$1.6 billion required to implement the Zambia National Medical Oxygen Strategic Plan that had been launched.

The initiative implemented in Zambia follows the example of Kenya and Nigeria, where UNOPS and UNICEF worked closely with the Ministries of Health.

Inside Zambia’s National Medical Oxygen Plan

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified medical oxygen as an essential drug for treating hypoxemia, which refers to abnormally low levels of oxygen in the blood caused by various health conditions, particularly respiratory ailments like pneumonia and COVID-19.

A study conducted by the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries examined 231 healthcare facilities across sub-Saharan Africa and found that less than 50% of these facilities consistently had access to a source of oxygen, with 24.8% reporting that medical oxygen was never available.

The African COVID-19 Critical Care Outcomes Study (ACCCOS) Investigators reviewed 64 high-care or intensive care units in ten African countries and discovered that half of the COVID-19 patients who died did not receive medical oxygen.

According to UNICEF, pneumonia tragically claims the lives of 2,000 children under the age of five every day worldwide, equivalent to one child every 45 seconds.

In Zambia specifically, pneumonia remains the leading cause of death among children under five, and in 2021, 20% of the estimated 37,822 under-five deaths in the country were due to pneumonia.

In 2020, the Zambia Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Zambia National Public Health Institute and PATH, organized a virtual Zambia Oxygen Summit.

The summit aimed to address the demand for national medical-grade oxygen in the treatment of critically or severely ill COVID-19 patients at designated pandemic treatment centers and across the country.

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