We often get asked why we got into medical oxygen — here’s a bit of our story.
In 2020, a global health crisis brought the world to a standstill and exposed deep gaps within healthcare systems — particularly in developing nations. COVID-19 pushed one of the most basic medical necessities into the spotlight: oxygen.
Access to medical oxygen became a critical challenge during the pandemic. The key — and often fatal — complication of COVID-19 was the depletion of oxygen in the blood. A study of 64 hospitals across 10 African countries revealed that half of the COVID-19 patients who died never received oxygen.
Since then, increasing the continent’s oxygen security has become a top priority for African governments and global health organizations — not only to prepare for future health emergencies but also to support patients with other serious respiratory conditions. Before the pandemic, only two African countries — Ethiopia and Nigeria — had national oxygen policy roadmaps.
Our story began in 2020, when The Institute for Transformative Technologies (ITT) and its funding partners recognized the urgent need for action — not just to respond to the immediate pandemic crisis, but to create a durable, scalable model that could sustain access to affordable medical oxygen and fortify Sub-Saharan Africa’s healthcare systems well into the future.
From that mission, Oxygen Hub was born — an initiative designed to create a sustainable business that delivers reliable, affordable, and high-quality medical oxygen to those who need it most.
Oxygen Hub launched its first medical oxygen production and distribution plant in Kenya during the pandemic. Since then, we’ve grown to 16 plants across three countries — Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia — partnering with local businesses and entrepreneurs to produce and distribute life-saving medical oxygen to hospitals and health facilities, particularly in peri-urban and rural communities.
What makes our model unique is our commitment to building sustainability through local ownership. We empower locally led and owned enterprises to operate with excellence and long-term viability. Our approach reduces costs through pooled procurement, ensures each plant is equipped with the right technology and skilled operators, and provides both on-demand technical support and annual maintenance to guarantee reliability. We also work hand-in-hand with our partners to aggregate demand, optimize operations, and develop effective sales strategies — creating a model that is both resilient and self-sustaining.
In the months ahead, we’ll be sharing more about the lessons we’ve learned on this journey, the people behind Oxygen Hub, the partnerships we’ve built, and the plans that will shape our next chapter.