Fighting Pneumonia in North-Central Nigeria HealthPort’s 2024 Campaign Impact

Pneumonia is a silent killer responsible for the deaths of nearly 725,000 children under the age of 5, including around 190,000 newborns every year, who are particularly vulnerable to infection. A significant number of these deaths occur in Nigeria. While antibiotics can effectively treat pneumonia, severe cases often require oxygen therapy. Unfortunately, many hospitals in underserved regions lack access to this essential treatment.

“Every 43 seconds, at least one child dies from pneumonia. Almost all of these deaths are preventable.”

To address this urgent healthcare challenge, HealthPort, in partnership with an NGO Pioneer Medical Initiative, launched the North-Central Pneumonia Campaign under Project AIRUP, aiming to bridge the gap by providing medical oxygen supplies, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and empowering local youth and focusing on hospitals and communities across Jos, Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Niger States. Through hospital assessments, community outreach, and targeted awareness campaigns, we worked to strengthen the fight against pneumonia and expand access to life-saving medical oxygen.  

Below, we present a detailed report on the campaign’s activities, insights, and impact:  

Understanding the Need: Why Pneumonia Requires Oxygen Interventions

Pneumonia causes lung inflammation, making breathing difficult for patients, especially young children. Without timely access to oxygen therapy, severe cases can quickly become fatal. In many hospitals, poor diagnostics, oxygen shortages, and limited infrastructure remain barriers to effective treatment, leading to preventable deaths. 

 HealthPort’s mission focuses on bridging this gap by ensuring hospitals have consistent access to medical-grade oxygen. This started with effective hypoxemia diagnosis and initiating/titrating therapy delivered through reliable systems and rigorous safety protocols.

Key Campaign Findings and Engagement Results

1. Hospital Oxygen Need Assessment

A major focus of the campaign was conducting an in-depth evaluation of oxygen gaps in hospitals across the North-Central region. The findings revealed critical challenges that highlight the need for immediate interventions:

• Minna (Niger State): Many hospitals in Minna are forced to travel as far as 200 kilometers [2 Hours 50 min] to refill their oxygen cylinders, causing delays in patient care and increasing operational costs for healthcare facilities. This underscores the need for localized and efficient oxygen supply chains.
• Jos (Plateau State): The state recorded the highest oxygen demand across the region. Hospitals in Jos struggle with outdated equipment and inconsistent oxygen availability, putting patients with severe pneumonia and hypoxia at risk.
• Kaduna State: Despite being a major hub, Kaduna reported gaps in access to affordable oxygen, driven by unreliable supply chains and limited storage capacity in some healthcare centers. 
• Nasarawa State: The challenges include the need for proper oxygen infrastructure, which leaves smaller facilities unable to provide lifesaving therapy during emergencies.                                                        

This insight provides a roadmap for prioritizing oxygen delivery systems where they are needed most.  

2. Community Outreach and Engagement

HealthPort’s outreach programs combined grassroots advocacy with hospital awareness campaigns:  

- Kaduna South recorded the highest community engagement, largely due to our Power Walk initiative and hospital education drives.  

- Notable outreach was also achieved in Akwanga (Nasarawa) and Numba (Niger), where the campaign focused on informing caregivers and families about pneumonia prevention and the importance of oxygen therapy.  

3. Demographic Impact

Our campaign targeted at-risk populations and reached various age groups, promoting widespread community participation and awareness of pneumonia prevention and treatment. Key engagement statistics from the total audience demographics across all communities that were reached;

• 35% of children aged 0-5:This group was targeted through outreach focused on this vulnerable group, leveraging antenatal clinics during hospital visits and door-to-door campaigns in community outreach efforts. These approaches ensured that caregivers received vital information about early diagnosis, prevention, vaccines, and treatment of pneumonia.
• 10% of ages 6-24: This group was primarily reached in school during community outreach, youth engagement during community power walks, and creative educational materials designed to resonate with younger audiences.
• 25% of ages 25-44: This demographic, consisting largely of parents and young professionals, engaged with the campaign through community awareness sessions and access to educational materials distributed during hospital and community outreach activities and radio jingle,
• 30% of ages 45+: High engagement among this group was driven by flyers and materials translated into native languages and radio jingles, which ensured inclusivity and accessibility. Door-to-door campaigns and hospital outreach also allowed direct interaction with elders, emphasizing their role in advocating for family health.

4. Media and Communication Reach

Radio Jingle 

HealthPort also promoted the pneumonia awareness campaign through Radio Jingles a campaign effort known to reach mothers as far as in marketplaces or their homes. The broadcast aired in key states, including Abuja, Kaduna, Niger, Benue, and Nasarawa, ensuring our message resonated across both urban and rural areas. The reach extended across diverse age demographics, amplifying the call for pneumonia awareness for most at-risk populations.  

 Social Media Engagement:

• Twitter  (70%) and LinkedIn (50%) had the highest impact, connecting us with healthcare advocates, professionals, and the general public.  
• Instagram (30%) and Facebook (25%) allowed us to engage younger audiences and professionals, spreading the campaign’s message across digital platforms.  

HealthPort Interventions: Our Commitment to Saving Lives

The data gathered during the campaign have deepened our resolve to tackle managing respiratory health conditions such as pneumonia through strategic interventions. Here’s how we’re making a difference:  

1. Scaling Up Oxygen Delivery Systems

We are prioritizing hospitals in Jos, Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Niger to ensure consistent oxygen supply during emergencies. By deploying wraparound oxygen delivery systems, HealthPort enables hospitals to save lives more efficiently and reliably.  

2. Expanding Awareness of Pneumonia Prevention

Our focus extends beyond hospitals to communities. HealthPort is investing in grassroots education programs that empower caregivers, community health workers, and clinical care providers with knowledge about:  

• Taking preventative measures, such as improved hygiene and vaccinations.  
• Identifying early symptoms of pneumonia.  
• The critical role of prompt diagnosis, antibiotic use, and medical oxygen in treatment.  

3. Strengthening Local Partnerships

HealthPort is building sustainable oxygen delivery networks that ensure long-term impact through collaboration with hospitals, government agencies, and local organizations.  

4. Ensuring Safety and Reliability

Every oxygen cylinder HealthPort delivers passes through safety checks to guarantee its purity and efficacy. This quality control commitment ensures hospitals and their patients receive medical-grade, high-purity O2 for quicker patient recovery when oxygen is utilized.  

The Road Ahead: Combating Pneumonia Together

As we concluded the campaign, we recognized that the fight against pneumonia is far from over. Moving forward, HealthPort will:  

• Expand its reach to more underserved communities.  
• Continue to advocate for policies that prioritize oxygen access in healthcare systems.  
• We will continue to innovate to strengthen the supply chain and make oxygen therapy accessible, safe, and affordable to everyone.

We are deeply grateful to all our partners, stakeholders, and the communities we served during this campaign. Together, we are making strides toward a healthier, more equitable future.  

With your support, we are confident we can create a future where pneumonia is preventable, treatable, and no longer a leading cause of death for our under-age 5 population.  

This is how HealthPort and the wider Oxygen Better Futures CoLab is engaging Oxygen as a Service (OaaS) to improve some of the findings highlighted here. Let’s keep working together to make every breath count.