COVID-19

Considering Liquid Oxygen in C19RM Funding Requests

08 July 2021

The Global Fund encourages applicants of C19RM funding (case management) to consider liquid oxygen, when available in country or regionally, as a potentially appropriate modality to respond to rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases and oxygen demand.

Two memoranda of understanding recently signed by the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator) Oxygen Emergency Task Force provide the framework to negotiate national level pricing and terms for the expansion of liquid oxygen supplies as part of the COVID-19 response. The agreements have been signed with Air Liquide and Linde, operating as BOC and Afrox in some countries, two of the largest industrial gas companies globally.

Liquid oxygen can be delivered to bulk tanks at facilities with medical piping or can be converted to oxygen cylinders for delivery. Liquid oxygen services may be the fastest way to increase supply in countries that have liquid oxygen production or existing supply lines for deliveries.

As detailed in Annex 4 of the C19RM Technical Information Notedownload in English | Español | Français ] costs for liquid oxygen services are eligible under C19RM, including through reinvestment of C19RM funds. More information is available in Section 2.4 of the C19RM Guidelinesdownload in English | Español | Français ] .

More information: Unprecedented cooperation with global oxygen suppliers paves way to increase access for low- and middle-income countries to address COVID-19 crisis