600,000 people die from oxygen shortage in Nigeria- Research shows

A study by the Federal Ministry of Health has just shown that over 600,000 people die yearly from the lack of oxygen.

Approximately, 625,000 people in Nigeria were estimated to die due to diseases associated with hypoxaemia- insufficient oxygen in the blood or low blood oxygen saturation.

In fact, children are the worst hit as a fatal of complication of pneumonia is hypoxaemia in children and it accounts for 120,000 under-5 deaths per year.

Evidence has continually shown that 25% of neonates and 12% of under-5 children admitted to the hospital with pneumonia are generally hypoxaemia on admission.

Hence the alarm raised by the CEO of Life Bank Nigeria, Temie Giwa-Tubson on the need to get ventilators in Nigeria.

"About 2.3% of people who are hospitalised for COVID19 will need ventilators! About 40% will need medical oxygen (China data). The west doesn’t have an oxygen problem, so no one is talking about it! But before Covid19, 600,000 people die from oxygen shortage in Nigeria annually!" she cried out on Twitter.

About 2.3% of people who are hospitalised for COVID19 will need ventilators! About 40% will need medical oxygen (China data). The west doesn’t have an oxygen problem, so no one is talking about it! But before Covid19, 600,000 people die from oxygen shortage in Nigeria annually!

— Temie Giwa-Tubosun (@temite) April 4, 2020

Nonetheless, Good people rallied to help.

Edmund Olotu promised to use his factoyr to produce oxygen and promised to see how it can be upgraded to medical production of oxygen.

I have a factory that produces oxygen. Can be upgraded to produce medical oxygen ???? except we don’t have the medical oxygen bottles.

— Edmund Olotu (@pyjama_ceo) April 4, 2020

Adebanji Omole promised to help as well, being an oxygen manufacturer.

I manufacture and distribute medical oxygen across SW Nigeria. We should be able to stretch to other areas. We can manufacture up to 800 canisters daily, within a lockdown scenario. Happy to help/collaborate in any way.

— adebanji omole (@DebanjiOmole) April 4, 2020