By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka

Nigeria  and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, are to partner to strengthen the supply of oxygen to hospitals in eight states of the country for the treatment of pneumonia, COVID-19 and other hypoxemia disorders particularly in newborn babies and pregnant women.

The benefitting states are Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross Rivers, and Rivers.

The partnership, which is for 18 months, is to be executed by IHS   Nigeria,   a   subsidiary   of   IHS   Towers.

A statement by the Communications Officer of UNICEF Nigeria, Blessing Ejiofor said the partnership aims to further support the Federal Ministry of Health in meeting demands for effective oxygen therapy in Nigeria.

According to her, IHS Nigeria has been a UNICEF partner since 2019, adding that under the new collaboration, oxygen plants would   be   installed   in   health   facilities   and   incorporated   into   specific   oxygen   resilience   plans, including training healthcare workers on the safe administration of oxygen

 Ejiofor said: “Oxygen   is   a   life-saving   medical   gas   used   to   treat   respiratory   illnesses   and   support   various health care provisions such as emergency obstetric care, surgery, and anaesthesia.

“It is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing mortality due to pneumonia by 35%, yet, seldom available and often expensive.

“In Nigeria, over 120,000 children die each year due to hypoxemia. With limited access to supplemental oxygen, the line between life and death is blurred for critically ill patients with pneumonia and severe COVID-19 symptoms.

The UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins said the organization values its strong partnership with IHS Nigeria.

“It is only through joint efforts and the support of trusted partners like IHS Nigeria that we can deliver robust healthcare and advance other sustainable development goals to all Nigerians,’’ Hawkins said.

The Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish said the organization was delighted to be  contributing further  to   the provision of healthcare in Nigeria.

 He added: “When we read about the number of deaths in Nigeria that could be avoided by making oxygen available, such projects become a must-do rather than an option.

“By working   collaboratively,   we   believe   we   can   help   improve   the   health   and   well-being   of   our communities and thereby express a very small token of appreciation to our beloved country and the communities that host us.

“We also hope this partnership will encourage others in the private sector to contribute to the delivery of vital healthcare for women and children across Nigeria.”