WHO’s regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) prioritizes country support to scale-up oxygen access and availability. To that end, A country support mission and a workshop were coordinated between WHO EMRO, the Jordan country office, and Headquarters between the 14th and 17th of August 2023. The workshop included approximately 80 participants from the Ministry of Health (MoH), MoH hospitals and medical oxygen manufacturers to strengthen the national capacity of medical oxygen.

During the workshop, the country's baseline oxygen production and consumption were roughly estimated by a survey tool. Suppliers’ positions and the structure of the staff managing the medical gases were successfully identified through the field visits. Valuable perspectives were gathered from healthcare professionals, logisticians, and engineers engaged in oxygen management.

WHO experts assessed the existing oxygen ecosystem with oxygen stakeholders and identified gaps to fill. Participants were

actively involved in the discussion to share their experience and expertise to improve the oxygen ecosystem. Based on the WHO’s assessment and insight from the participants, the mission team made clear recommendations and objectives to improve overall oxygen ecosystem coordination at a national level.

Active discussion among the participants in the workshop of oxygen scale-up.

The workshop was well received by the attendees and health authorities. It served as a beneficial opportunity for all the oxygen stakeholders to share their awareness, lessons, and challenges. Following the success of this first medical oxygen scale-up workshop in the region, another training has been planned upon the request of other Member States, including Iraq in November 2023.

Field visit to the medical gas manufacturer

Besides the workshop, this mission offered a better understanding of the oxygen gap, market landscape, and biomedical engineering activities through three field visits covering two major hospitals (Al-Bashir Hospitals and Al-Hussein Al Salt New Hospital) and one manufacturer of oxygen (Jordan Gases).

WHO is determined to continue supporting countries in increasing access to and availability of medical oxygen by expanding the ongoing efforts. WHO will also strengthen the coordination of oxygen activities with MoH, health authorities, and oxygen partners, calling for solidarity in support of enhancing the oxygen ecosystem in the Region.