Every Step Counts… because Every Breath Counts
Every day extraordinary leaders are fighting COVID-19 and pneumonia. Every Step we take to fight COVID-19 brings us closer to ending respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, which are the leading infectious threat to adults and children. Take a look at some of the stories of everyday heroes and find ways to support their vital work.
Increasing access to oxygen in India
Dr Manish Singh, Deputy Director of Child Health at the National Health Mission in Madhya Pradesh, India, is determined to beat COVID-19 and pneumonia by increasing access to lifesaving oxygen. 97% of children diagnosed with hypoxemia in hospitals in Madhya Pradesh now receive oxygen.
Adapting CPAP to treat COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh
Dr Mohammod Jobayer Chisti, senior scientist and ICU clinical lead at the Dakar hospital of icddr,b in Bangladesh is determined to keep sick COVID-19 patients alive by adapting a simple bubble CPAP that was associated with a 75% reduction in child pneumonia deaths to treat adult COVID patients.
Building COVID-19 treatment centers in Burkina Faso
Soro Boukary from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is determined to defeat COVID-19 in eastern Burkina Faso by establishing treatment centers, increasing community awareness, training health workers, and continuing planned vaccination campaigns despite the challenging conditions and ever-present risk of conflict.
Bringing medical oxygen to remote health facilities in Uganda
Sheillah Bagayana, Manager of FREO2 in Uganda, is determined to beat COVID-19 by increasing access to life-saving medical oxygen in remote and rural health facilities across Uganda. FREO2 is installing their innovative OxyLink system, which conserves energy and does not rely on electricity.
Increasing oxygen access in northern Nigeria
Dr Adamu Isah, Chief of Party of the INSPIRING Project at Save the Children, explains how he is determined to defeat both COVID-19 and pneumonia by increasing access to medical oxygen in hospitals in northern Nigeria, which has some of the highest rates of early death in the world.
Unlocking access to COVID-19 commodities across Africa
Fatoumata Ba, Founder of Janngo in Africa, is determined to beat COVID-19 by joining forces with the African Union Special Envoy and other partners to build the Africa Medical Supplies Platform – unlocking access to critical COVID-19 commodities to African countries.
A low-cost, high-impact approach to treating COVID-19 in Pakistan
Dr Masooma Aqeel, from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan, is determined to defeat COVID-19 by increasing the awareness of low-cost, high-impact techniques – such as the use of ‘awake’ or ‘conscious proning’, which significantly reduces the need for expensive therapies like ventilators.
Saving lives – one breath at a time
Steve Adudans from Hewatele, a social enterprise in Kenya, is determined to defeat COVID-19 by increasing the supply of medical oxygen and support to surrounding hospitals to meet the sharply rising need to treat COVID-19 patients.
Making local, affordable hand sanitizer in Uganda
Dr Santorino Data from Mbarara University and Country Manager of CAMTech Uganda is determined to defeat COVID-19 by ramping up local production of a homegrown formula of affordable hand sanitizer called Sanidrop.
Increasing access to pulse oximetry in Ethiopia
Senait Bitew, a nurse working for Lifebox in Ethiopia, explains how Lifebox is working to defeat COVID-19 and pneumonia by increasing the supply of pulse oximeters to diagnose hypoxemia, a major risk for death from COVID-19 and many other respiratory infections and conditions.
Educating the public about COVID-19 in Nigeria
Dr Chizoba Wonodi, a scientist from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Founder of Women Advocates for Vaccine Access, explains how to educate the public in Nigeria on ways to prevent COVID-19 and distribute food to families suffering from the impact of lockdown.
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Dear Global Fund Board, The Global Fund must continue its vital work helping eligible countries close the massive gaps in access to medical oxygen that are stymying efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and prepare for the next pandemic. Oxygen is an essential...
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