Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support

Ensuring the availability of stable, sustainable medical oxygen to patients in the Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia

The Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) new Global Health program, Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support (AIRS), will ensure the availability of stable, sustainable medical oxygen to patients in the Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Officials and healthcare professionals from the three countries have informed project staff about their oxygen needs and are working closely with SCCM AIRS leaders.

The project will involve the development of:

Oxygen-generating plants
Installation and maintenance of solar panels to ensure an ongoing power supply to the equipment
Installation of oxygen piping to and within facility walls
In-depth biomedical training for workers who will operate solar and oxygen-generating systems to ensure the sustainable provision of benefits for years to come

The project was made possible by a $5.5 million grant from Direct Relief and in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals (JHU-GAPP) and the Institute of Global Perioperative Care.

Project Chair: John B. Sampson, MD

Project Sites

The Gambia

Only one hospital in the Gambia has medical oxygen, so the government and medical community have requested development of an oxygen-generating facility at a second hospital.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone’s priority is to improve hospital-based energy access through development of renewable solar energy because it is essential to maintain a reliable oxygen supply.

Liberia

Liberia has ongoing oxygen access issues, and officials are requesting development of an oxygen-generating facility for a rural hospital. Because of the unstable power grid, AIRS will develop a solar-based renewable energy system to power the oxygen-generating supply.

Latest Updates

Trip to West Africa Kicks Off SCCM AIRS Project
Oxygen is essential for human life and has no substitute. Its importance was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic by the many patients who had difficulty breathing. Medical oxygen is used in many different settings, such as intensive care units, operating rooms, delivery rooms, and during emergency transport.
Posted: 4/24/2023 | 0 comments | AIRS Project, Global Health, Medical Education, Resource Allocation

SCCM Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support Project Will Improve Access to Oxygen in West Africa
The Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) new global health initiative, Africa Infrastructure Relief and Support (AIRS), will ensure the availability of medical oxygen to patients in the Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, made possible by a $5.5 million grant from Direct Relief and in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals (GAPP) and the Institute of Global Perioperative Care. Officials in the Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will identify specific medical oxygen-related needs, including hospital-based infrastructure, oxygen-generating plants, and solar energy. SCCM plans to eventually expand the initiative to additional countries.
Posted: 2/14/2023 | 0 comments | AIRS Project, Global Health, oxygen, respiratory

SCCM Partners

Direct Relief
A humanitarian organization committed to improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world to communities in need—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. For more information, please visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.

Johns Hopkins University Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals
The Global Alliance of Perioperative Professionals’ (JHU-GAPP) mission is to provide relevant, appropriate, affordable and sustainable solutions to improve perioperative care in austere environments through training, research, clinical care improvement, and the dissemination of knowledge. Their motto is Closing the Gap on Global Health Disparities.

Institute of Global Perioperative Care
The Institute of Global Perioperative Care is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve healthcare delivery to underserved populations globally through research, training, clinical care, and health system strengthening.

Special Thanks to:

Diaspora African Forum
The Diaspora African Forum (DAF) is the first and only diplomatic mission dedicated to the African Diaspora. The DAF's mission is to support the African Union in the representation of the African Diaspora and their strategic involvement in the ongoing development of Africa. Its mandate is to pledge full support as a change agent toward the integration of Africans in the diaspora while strengthening African Diaspora engagement in Ghana and the continent. The DAF aims to be the bridge that unites the African Diaspora and Africa.