UNICEF, IHS Nigeria Partner To Expand Access To Oxygen For Pneumonia, COVID-19 Patients

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Towers, have announced an 18-month partnership to help strengthen oxygen supply in hospitals for the treatment of pneumonia, COVID-19 and other hypoxemia disorders, particularly in new-born babies and pregnant women.

This partnership aims to further support the Federal Ministry of Health in meeting demands for effective oxygen therapy in Nigeria.

Under this new collaboration, oxygen plants will be installed in health facilities and incorporated into state-specific oxygen resilience plans, including training healthcare workers on the safe administration of oxygen. The partnership covers Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross Rivers, and Rivers states.

UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins, in a press statement, made available to LEADERSHIP, said oxygen is a life-saving medical gas used to treat respiratory illnesses and support various healthcare provisions such as emergency obstetric care, surgery, and anaesthesia.

“It is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing mortality due to pneumonia by 35 per cent, yet, seldom available and often expensive. In Nigeria, over 120,000 children die each year due to hypoxemia,” Hawkins stated.

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With limited access to supplemental oxygen, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, said the line between life and death is blurred for critically ill patients with pneumonia and severe COVID-19 symptoms, adding that this situation is, unfortunately, the reality for many.

CEO IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish, said, “We are delighted to be contributing further to the provision of healthcare in Nigeria. When we read about the number of deaths in Nigeria that could be avoided by making oxygen available, such projects become a must-do rather than an option.’’