Loading oxygen concentrator shipment to transport to Ministry of Health warehouses for use in Iraqi hospitals Baghdad, Iraq, 2 July 2020 – In light of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Iraq and the severe shortage of oxygen in hospitals, WHO has succeeded in securing 300 oxygen concentrators to be used in Iraqi hospitals according to the Ministry of Health’s distribution plan. The concentrators were airlifted from WHO's warehouses in the United Arab Emirates and delivered to the Ministry of Health.

The 300 oxygen concentrators have arrived at a time in which COVID-19 case management hospitals are suffering from a severe shortage in oxygen supplies needed to treat COVID-19 moderate and severe cases with respiratory difficulties.

“The new donated oxygen concentrators will save more lives,” said WHO Iraq Representative Dr Adham Ismail, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO has been fighting the pandemic with every tool at its disposal to save lives and support countries with limited response capacity, including Iraq”.

On 24 June, video on social media showed a state of panic, fear and chaos in one of the largest hospitals in the city of Thi-qar, southern Iraq, after reports of severe oxygen shortages that caused casualties among COVID-19 patients. This was coupled by other reports from different governorates showing a lack of oxygen supplies in health care facilities. All of these incidents and reports have prompted WHO to act urgently to support Iraq to meet the shortfall in oxygen supplies.

Since mid-May, Iraq has been recording increasingly higher numbers of new COVID-19 infections and deaths. Official statistics from the Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on 1 July 2020 a total of 51 524 COVID-19 cases, 2050 deaths and 26 267 recoveries.

During the period from March to June 2020, WHO Iraq handed over US$ 1.6 million in the form of diagnostic kits, equipment and furniture, personal protective equipment, health kits and supplies to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Health in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

WHO and health authorities proactively coordinated a comprehensive response to the pandemic as early as January 2020. The Organization, in collaboration with the Ministry, is currently engaged in a major awareness-raising campaign targeting people living in 10 heavily affected areas in Baghdad. More than 250 community volunteers have been mobilized to deliver educational messages from 29 June to 28 July 2020.

WHO would like to extend its gratitude to Kuwait and ECHO for their generous donations to support efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq.

For further information, please contact:

Ms Baraa Shaba
WHO Communications Officer
+964 780 001 0244
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Ms Ajyal Sultany
WHO Communications Officer
+964 7740 892 878
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Ms Pauline Loyce Ajello
+964 772 987 7288
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