Increased investments in medical oxygen and continued private-public partnerships are vital to creating a more resilient global health system. This will mean the world is better prepared for future pandemics and capable of providing universal access to oxygen, saving millions of lives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical oxygen received extensive attention — both its vital importance and the gaps in accessing it. Global health donors responded by mobilizing $1 billion to strengthen oxygen supplies in over 120 countries. In 2023, at the World Health Assembly, all 194 member states unanimously adopted a resolution to increase access to oxygen.
Last year, the first investment case for oxygen financing commissioned by the Global Oxygen Alliance, or GO₂AL, launched in Berlin during the World Health Summit. And earlier this year, a landmark report released by The Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security revealed the first-ever estimates of oxygen coverage gaps globally and the total cost of closing them.
About the authors
Dr. Philippe Duneton
Dr. Philippe Duneton has more than 25 years’ experience in the fields of HIV/AIDS, infectious and tropical diseases and public health. As Unitaid’s executive director, he has led the organization’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, playing a vital role as the co-lead of the therapeutics arm of the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator. Previously, he was a practicing doctor at La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris (infections diseases department) and was twice adviser to the French Ministry of Health under Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Nikolaj Gilbert
Nikolaj Gilbert is the president and CEO of PATH, an international nonprofit focused on advancing health equity through innovation and partnerships. He brings over 25 years of experience across the private sector, nonprofits, and multilateral organizations. Before joining PATH in 2020, Nikolaj served as director of partnerships for the United Nations Office for Project Services and held leadership roles at Novo Nordisk.
Ryo Nakamura
Ryo Nakamura is ambassador, assistant minister/director-general for global issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. His career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs includes positions such as director-general of Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department and minister at the embassies in Indonesia and Germany.
