Over five billion people worldwide lack reliable access to medical oxygen, a crucial resource for treating various health conditions. A new report stresses the need for national oxygen plans, increased funding,

A new article published this week in The Lancet medical journal found that more than half of the world's population lacks access to safe and affordable medical oxygen services, and most people outside of high-income countries go without adequate oxygen services for their medical conditions.

Oxygen is critical in a medical environment for a variety of patients—from those going through surgical procedures to patients with pneumonia or other respiratory issues, chronic lung conditions, and infections like sepsis or malaria.