This primer helps advocates and decision-makers understand the need for increasing access to oxygen, and how it can be done—even within contexts with limited resources. It provides tools intended to help understand the planning, policies, and technologies involved in oxygen therapy scale-up. It showcases a successful example of oxygen policy planning from Ethiopia, and provides guiding questions for decision-makers as they consider a national or subnational scale-up effort of their own. A compilation of key messages provides advocates and decision-makers with the most effective talking points about the need for oxygen and how to increase access.

Who is this primer for?

Advocates: Anyone trying to increase access to oxygen by influencing decision-makers to act in support of this goal. Advocates can include civil society, technical experts, academia, community members, religious and community leaders, and media, among others. Decision-makers are also important advocates.

Decision-makers: People with the authority to make improved access to oxygen a reality through supportive policymaking—including funding, regulations, and laws. This might include officials from the ministry of health or finance, parliamentarians, regional health leaders, or district health committee members, among others.

Table of contents

• Oxygen Is Essential: An Issue Brief
• Oxygen Is Essential: A Policy Brief
• Global Guidelines for Shaping National Oxygen Policy
• Oxygen Technologies and Supplies
• Guiding Questions for Oxygen Scale-up
• Mapping a Future for Oxygen Access for All: Ethiopia’s Experience
• Oxygen Messaging Map