WHO sounds alarm over COVID-linked oxygen crisis
Lianna Matt McLemon for CIDRAP writes about the shortage of medical oxygen in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that has been exacerbated by COVD-19.
Date
02 March 2021
The author addresses the existing issue of medical oxygen shortage in LMICs that has been worsened due to COVID-19. The article reports on the WHO's calls for US$90 million in immediate funding to address shortages in 20 countries and a total of US$1.6 billion over the next 12 months as part of the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) initiative.Â
Addressing how the shortage is being handled, the author refers to a February editorial in Fortune Magazine written by Access to Medicine Foundation Executive Director Jayasree K. Iyer. The author references Jayasree's specific call to action for medical oxygen manufacturers to ramp up access to this essential medicine where it is needed most.Â