What Oxygen looks like
in Uganda today
There is a key Missing Middle to Oxygen availability in Uganda, but to to date we have not had the real visibility of who the current state of play, how and where oxygen is produced, how it’s distributed, and what the key challenges for the actors in the system are.
We set out to close that evidence gap.
Who we engaged
22
Manufacturers
PSA plant operators, industrial & hospital-based producers
45
Distributors
Wholesalers, regional specialists, industrial SMEs, micro-distributors
2
Trade Associations
Uganda Manufacturers Assoc. (UMA) & Uganda Healthcare Federation (UHF)
2
Regulatory Actors
National Drug Authority (NDA) & District Health Officers
132
Health Facilities
PNFP, private, government — Central, Eastern, Western, Northern
4
Development Partners
International & local organizations supporting oxygen access
Oxygen Availability
We found that facilities routinely ration oxygen due to cost and unreliable supply; they also regularly refer cases that require a lot of medical oxygen.
What we’ve found though is that Uganda’s oxygen challenge is no longer a supply problem.
It’s a connection problem.
The Production Exists
Geography Divides
Current regulation doesn’t’ work
The Production Exists
Twenty-two private manufacturers operate PSA plants across all four regions, with a combined weekly output of 4,200–7,300 cylinders.
The market has three distinct layers: industrial manufacturers who produce oxygen as a steel-making byproduct, dedicated medical and industrial gas producers (the dominant layer, with 60–65% market share), and hospital-based manufacturers serving local facilities within roughly 50km. All three types are represented across the country.
22 PSA oxygen production facilities
4,200–7,300 Cylinders combined weekly capacity
76% Average plant utilisation rate
60% Of manufacturers lack NDA certification
Geography Divides
Where you are determines what you pay, and whether it arrives.
Transport costs of UGX 20,000–50,000 per cylinder — representing 40–60% of the final price in remote areas — drive a geographic premium that market forces alone will not fix. 46% of facilities report significant delivery delays. 23% have been left with no alternative when their supplier ran out.
Current regulation doesn’t work
Medical oxygen is regulated as a pharmaceutical product in Uganda, under NDA oversight. In practice, the system has broken down — not because the sector is resisting it, but because the process for complying is unclear, slow, and expensive.
The backbone of the oxygen supply system is
Of distributors lack NDA medical oxygen certification
Manufacturers report GMP training. But only 2 facilities hold formal GMP certification (NDA verified)
Of distributors Operate with no certifications whatsoever
What we’re doing about it
For an academic take on O2aaS, explore the following: