Scaling Up Medical Oxygen initiative – Kenya

A sufficient supply of medical oxygen is instrumental to an effectively functioning health system. Oxygen helps save lives, its provision is a critical component of emergency respiratory resuscitation worldwide, and it consequently features on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, supplementary oxygen was essential in the treatment of patients with severe COVID -19 disease. Unfortunately, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that Kenya among many African countries did not have sufficient installed capacity to supply medical oxygen for coronavirus patients. This medical oxygen shortage in the country resulted in unnecessary loss of life and strained the few hospitals that had the capacity.

Through co-created advocacy efforts, APHRC is working with partners to co-create and implement advocacy activities to inform relevant policy actors on the urgent need to rethink the medical oxygen policy to deepen access to medical oxygen in Kenya. This initiative will involve APHRC leading and working with stakeholders to coordinate efforts that will lead to the gathering and sharing of information on existing medical oxygen taxation policies and practices in Kenya, thereby understanding issues that have continued to encourage inequality by excluding disadvantaged communities that don’t get access to medical oxygen when needed.

Over the lifetime of the project, APHRC will identify, coordinate and build the capacity of relevant sector actors to effectively understand the Kenyan medical oxygen landscape, while also understanding on Kenya’s medical oxygen tax regime.

PROJECT PERIOD:

• Start Date: October 1, 2022
• End Date: March 31, 2024