WHO and EU bridge gaps in oxygen supply, hand over life-saving medical oxygen plant to Somalia

17.03.2022

Mogadishu

Providing a series of sustainable, impactful solutions to build resilient health systems

As part of efforts to build sustainable health systems in Somalia, Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of Mission to Somalia, handed over a life-saving pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plant to HE Fawziya Abikar Nur, the Federal Minister of Health and Human Services, alongside HE Tiina Intelmann, EU Ambassador to Somalia, and Mr Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/UNRC/HC) for Somalia. This milestone event took place at the De Martino Hospital in Mogadishu where the oxygen plant is stationed, which serves as a referral hospital for Banadir - the most populated city in Somalia.

Two years ago, in March 2020, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Somalia, and a year ago, the first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines, donated through the COVAX Facility, landed in Somalia. While leveraging on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrently building robust health systems that offer critical health services, WHO has offered the country data-driven solutions to existing life-threatening challenges. The PSA oxygen plant inaugurated today, for instance, was the first of its kind to be procured and installed at the De Martino Hospital as part of a phased approach to provide oxygen to Somalis after two studies conducted in 2020 – one of which was peer reviewed— found that hospitals lacked oxygen supplies and that COVID-19 patients who received medical oxygen instead of ventilation had a higher chance of survival.

“We are very grateful to WHO and the EU Delegation for the support they have offered Somalia through medical oxygen. The PSA plant they have provided is placed in our national specialized hospital for COVID-19 patients, the De Martino Hospital, and can serve up to 25 intensive care patients at once facing dire health challenges, while another unit refills cylinders. Together, they can fill 100 40-litre oxygen cylinders in a day,” said HE Fawziya Abikar Nur, the Federal Minister of Health and Human Services in Somalia. “This support is part of a strategic roadmap to boost oxygen supply in hospitals across the country.”

“Simple medical oxygen is effective in treating many health challenges – including COVID-19 and surgical, emergency and critical care services, such as trauma. In 2018, pneumonia was estimated to kill around two children aged under five every hour in Somali and yet global evidence shows that simple medical oxygen can reduce up to 35% of child deaths. It is so crucial and yet has no substitute,” said Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik. “After noting its scarcity in Somalia during the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO mounted a speedy response, and provided medical oxygen as a smart, cost-effective investment to save more lives. In the coming months, WHO will continue to work to procure more medical oxygen to Somalia to bridge the gap in access.”

Mr Adam Abdelmoula said, “WHO is using a two-pronged approach to offering medical oxygen – while offering medical oxygen to health facilities and the Government, they are also training health care workers, biomedical engineers and technicians in the use of the installed plants, with support from the EU and other partners. These steps are essential in creating a health system and advancing towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals.”

The EU Ambassador, Tiina Intelmann, highlighted that this activity is an important part of the EU-funded COVID 19 response in Somalia. Indeed, this oxygen plant installed at De Martino hospital is the first one of three such devices funded by the European Union, with the two additional ones currently under deployment in Garowe and Hargeisa. The EU Ambassador explained that the EU support aimed at suppressing COVID 19 in Somalia which initially started with humanitarian aid was continued through a partnership with WHO and the Federal Ministry of Health in order to further support the strengthening of the health sector. The EU support is not only focused on the oxygen provision that is really critical but also includes a vaccination campaign through the COVAX initiative.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Somalia in March 2020, none of the public sector hospitals had medical oxygen available and the health workforce was not trained on its use. Since then, WHO has worked with partners to procure and provide the PSA plant in Mogadishu, one solar-powered medical oxygen system at the Hanano General Hospital in Dhushamareb, and 76 oxygen concentrators distributed across the country.

For additional information, please contact:

Kyle DeFreitas, External Relations Officer, WHO Somalia <defreitask@who.int>
Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia <banof@who.int>
Vicente Selles, Liaison Officer / Communication Programme Manager <vicente.selles@eeas.europa.eu>