Effect of Solar Powered Oxygen Delivery on Childhood Mortality in Uganda: A Cluster-Randomized Trial

Detailed Summary

Globally, approximately 7.7 million children per year die before the age of 5 years. Infectious diseases account for a large proportion of these deaths, with pneumonia being the leading cause of mortality (2.1 million deaths/year). Most deaths occur in resource-poor settings in Asia and Africa. Oxygen (O2) therapy is essential to support life in these patients. Large gaps remain in the case management of children presenting to African hospitals with respiratory distress, including essential supportive therapies such as supplemental oxygen. In resource-constrained settings, oxygen delivery systems can lead to measurable improvements in survival from childhood pneumonia. A multihospital effectiveness study in Papua New Guinea demonstrated a reduction in mortality from childhood pneumonia from 5.0% to 3.2% (35% reduction in mortality) after implementation of enhanced oxygen delivery system. The investigators propose to investigate a novel strategy for oxygen delivery that could be implemented in remote locations with minimal access to an electrical power supply: solar-powered oxygen (SPO2).

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Interventions