Adedokun Waliyu 
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with IHS Nigeria, is to strengthen oxygen supply in hospitals for the treatment of pneumonia, COVID-19 and hypoxemia disorders in newborn babies and pregnant women.
The benefitting states are Ogun, Dyo, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Ebony, Cross Rivers, and Rivers.
Oxygen is a life-saving medical gas used to treat respiratory illnesses and support various healthcare provisions such as emergency obstetric care, surgery, and anaesthesia.
The partnership, which is for 18 months, is to be executed by IHS Nigeria, a sub- sidiary of IHS Towers. This is a company specialising in Nigeria. building and operating tele- communication infrastructure throughout emerging markets
A statement by the Communications Officer of UNICEF Nigeria, Blessing Ejiofor said the partnership aims to further support the Federal Ministry of Health in meeting demands for effective oxygen therapy in Nigeria.
According to her, IHS Nige ria has been a UNICEF partner since 2019, adding that under the new collaboration, oxy-gen plants will be installed
in health facilities and incorporated into specific oxygen resilience plans, including training healthcare workers on the safe administration of oxygen
Ejiofor said: “Oxygen is life-saving medical gas used to treat respiratory illnesses and support various health care provisions such as emer gency obstetric care, surgery, and anaesthesia.
“In Nigeria, over 120,000 children die each year due to hypoxemia. With limited access to supplemental oxygen, the line between life and death is blurred for critically ill patients with pneumonia and severe COVID-19 symptoms.
The UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins said the organization values its strong partnership with IHS.
He stated, “It is only through joint efforts and the support of trusted partners like IHS Nigeria that we can deliver robust healthcare and advance other sustainable development goals to all Ni gerians.”
The Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish declared: “When we read about the number of deaths in Nigeria that could be avoided by making oxygen available, such projects become a must-do rather than an option.
