We’re calling on progressive funders to invest in local respiratory healthcare businesses and the market conditions that make them sustainable.

Read the press release

“Oxygen CoLab has had a seismic impact. Now it’s up to the rest of us to be open to changing the way we do business.”

— Leith Greenslade, Coordinator, Every Breath Counts Coalition

What the experts are saying

The issue has cut through faster than even we expected!

Dr. Chinonso Fidelis Egemba, better known as Aproko Doctor, has added his voice. With over a million followers across his platforms, he’s built his reputation on making complex health information land with people who need it.

Listen to CoLabbers featured on Voices of Africa

A two part podcast series by Africa Practice, a leading insights and advocacy firm that advises investors and development partners.

Part one looks at why the challenge of getting oxygen to those patients who need it most persists, despite the fact that billions of dollars were invested during the Covid crisis to bring it closer to patients.

Listen

Part two discusses what it’s going to take to solve this crisis and get oxygen to every patient who needs it, when they need it. As well as how we are going to make the much more fundamental shift from aid to investment.

Listen

Useful links and resources

Featured on CNBC Africa

Sheillah Bagayana, Oxygen CoLab Uganda Lead & Co-Founder, ShiShi International joins CNBC Africa to speak on what’s needed to close the oxygen gap in sub-Saharan Africa.

Featured on NTV Uganda

NTV Uganda's Health Focus reports from Mpigi Health Center, where FREO2 Foundation's systems have helped over 100 newborns survive birth asphyxia that would otherwise have been fatal.

Learn more about FREO2

The voices behind the campaign

  • Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin

    Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin

    Professor of the Practice of Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Executive Director, Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program; Former Minister of Health of Ethiopia (2020–2024)

  • Dr. Egemba Chinonso Fidelis

    Aka Aproko Doctor, Dr Egemba simplifies complex medical and lifestyle information through engaging social media content. He equips people with the knowledge needed to make informed health decisions.

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  • Sheillah Bagayana

    Sheillah Bagayana

    Sheillah is a respiratory care entrepreneur, Co-Founder of ShiShi International, a medical device assembly and manufacturing company. She is also a regulatory and market consultant for the Oxygen CoLab in Uganda.

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  • Dr Birungi Julius

    Dr. Birungi Julius

    Dr Birungi Julius is a healthcare practitioner, specialising as a Medical Superintendent in Kagadi, Western, Uganda.

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  • Hilda Bugingo

    Hilda Bugingo

    Hilda is a trained biomedical engineer currently serving as Technical Lead at FREO2 Uganda. She has substantial experience in servicing oxygen systems in Uganda.

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  • Dr Carina King

    Dr Carina King

    Infectious Diseases Epidemiologist; Co-author, Lancet Global Commission on medical oxygen security; Karolinska Institute.

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What people are saying about the campaign

“You can produce as much oxygen as you want, but if it doesn't get to the patient at the bedside, it's of no consequence. The ultimate goal is for it to reach the patient.”

Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator, The Presidential Initiative For Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Nigeria

“The COVID era showed us we can mobilise billions quickly for health infrastructure. Although access improved significantly, sustainable access requires building a whole ecosystem. Medical oxygen shows us what the next generation of global health investment must look like: not aid that donates assets once, but investment that builds self-sustaining local capacity. Investing in sustainable systems where operators can guarantee oxygen reaches patients or facilities without interruption is crucial.”

Dr. Lia Tadesse, former Minister of Health for Ethiopia

“Our pilots prove local businesses can guarantee 100% oxygen uptime at 70% lower cost than ad-hoc purchasing. The model works. But these operators can’t scale without the basic fundamentals that make markets function.”

Alexandra Losneanu, Director, Oxygen CoLab

"If we're serious about strengthening health systems across African countries, we have to be willing to invest in the companies that actually operate in those systems. Impact can come from many small investments, not just a few large ones."

Kaodili Ude, Head of Regional Manufacturing, MedAccess

Help us make this future a reality

Get in touch with us to find out how you can support this campaign and make the transition from aid to investment.

Get in touch