Medical oxygen is a lifesaving therapy with no substitute. Yet, 60 percent of the world’s population lacks access, with low- and middle-income countries bearing the greatest burden. ​

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) began this week the distribution of 100 oxygen concentrators intended for the emergency services of the network of maternal and pediatric hospitals in Cuba, as part of its cooperation program to strengthen maternal and infant care on the Island.

Any oxygen concentrator has several costs over its lifetime. The cost that is most familiar and easily understood is the upfront or initial cost of the device. However, if we look at the total cost of operating an oxygen concentrator over its five year lifetime, there are two other
significant costs that we need to…