Concerning report reveals disturbing lack of access to one critical medical resource: 'More than 60% of the world's population'

In many parts of the world, the basic right to breathe is at risk. A new report highlights that more than 5 billion people globally still lack access to "safe, quality, and affordable" life-saving medical oxygen.

What's happening?

According to the Lancet Global Health Commission report, an estimated 374 million people globally require medical oxygen each year to treat a wide range of conditions. Unfortunately, about 82% of those needing oxygen live in low- and middle-income countries where access to supplemental oxygen is at a crisis point. 

"More than 5 billion people — more than 60% of the world's population — do not have access to safe, quality, and affordable medical oxygen services," according to the report.

The demand for medical oxygen is rising, partly driven by an increase in long-term oxygen therapy needs due to air pollution and rising global temperatures. Yet in many low-income communities, access to this critical resource remains "nearly nonexistent," per the report. Sub-Saharan Africa faces the most severe gap — only 9% of patients who need medical oxygen there actually receive it. 

The report adds that medical oxygen shortages have been especially felt in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It also highlights several factors contributing to these shortages globally, including limited oxygen supplies at healthcare facilities, a lack of diagnostic tools to detect oxygen needs, low rates of healthcare visits, inadequate quality of oxygen care, and high costs. Additionally, many facilities lack trained personnel to safely administer oxygen therapy.

Why is access to medical oxygen important?

Medical oxygen is essential for treating a wide range of health conditions, including acute and chronic respiratory conditions. Without it, hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths occur every year, particularly in low-income countries where health systems are already under strain.

The need for medical oxygen is expected to intensify as global temperatures rise and air pollution increases, leading to a higher prevalence and severity of respiratory conditions.

More people are experiencing asthma attacks, lung infections, and other oxygen-depleting illnesses due to the state of our environment.

Vulnerable populations face compounded risks, as they are most likely to face the most extreme impacts of average temperature shifts and are most likely to lack access to medical oxygen. Ensuring widespread access to medical oxygen is not just a health issue — it's a justice issue, too.

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What's being done to support access to medical oxygen?

Global efforts to improve access to medical oxygen have gained momentum in recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear just how uneven access is around the world. 

On a global scale, the Lancet Global Health Commission report estimates $6.8 billion is required annually to overcome medical oxygen shortages in low- and middle-income countries. That estimate doesn't even include extra demand during pandemics or the ongoing needs for people on long-term oxygen therapy.

But improving oxygen access isn't just about the supply. The report points out that we also need to tackle the root causes of respiratory illness, including increasing vaccination rates, reducing smoking, improving nutrition, and addressing air pollution.

Public health interventions like increasing flu and RSV vaccines could "significantly reduce the incidence of respiratory infections and lessen oxygen demand," per the report.

It also encourages all governments to develop national oxygen plans by 2030 to prioritize affordable access. So far, national oxygen plans have been developed in fewer than 30 countries.

The report reads, "These plans must go beyond simply increasing oxygen supply; they require integrating oxygen systems into national healthcare infrastructure, ensuring adequate training of clinical and engineering workforces, and establishing governance structures to oversee implementation."

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