The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) 500 of the 3,000 oxygen cylinders procured for the institute to improve access to oxygen for critical care and strengthen the oxygen capacity of health facilities providing COVID-19 treatment services.
“As COVID-19 continues to be a major public health concern causing severe illness and death in Ethiopia, it is imperative that we join hands with the government including through the provision of critical equipment and supplies to support every aspect of pandemic response,” said Dr Jane Maina, Officer in Charge of the WHO Ethiopia Emergency Preparedness and Response programme.
As countries go through waves of the pandemic, hospitalizations overwhelm health systems, putting an enormous burden on health workers and disrupting essential health services. Patients needing critical care will have to wait in line to receive life-saving interventions due to shortages created from case surge. WHO is making this donation of oxygen cylinders to mitigate such overwhelming challenges to the Ethiopian health system and reduce complications and death from COVID-19 and other life-threatening conditions.