The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted global oxygen system deficiencies and revealed gaps in how we understand and measure ‘oxygen access’. We present a case study on oxygen access from 58 health facilities in Lagos state, Nigeria. We found large differences in oxygen access between facilities (primary vs secondary, government vs private) and describe three key domains to consider when measuring oxygen access: availability, cost, use. Of 58 facilities surveyed, 8 (14%) of facilities had a functional pulse oximeter. Oximeters (N=27) were typically located in outpatient clinics (12/27, 44%), paediatric ward (6/27, 22%) or operating theatre (4/27, 15%). 34/58 (59%) facilities had a functional source of oxygen available on the day of inspection, of which 31 (91%) facilities had it available in a single ward area, typically the operating theatre or maternity ward. Oxygen services were free to patients at primary health centres, when available, but expensive in hospitals and private facilities, with the median cost for 2 days oxygen 13 000 (US$36) and 27 500 (US$77) Naira, respectively. We obtained limited data on the cost of oxygen services to facilities. Pulse oximetry use was low in secondary care facilities (32%, 21/65 patients had SpO2 documented) and negligible in private facilities (2%, 3/177) and primary health centres (<1%, 2/608). We were unable to determine the proportion of hypoxaemic patients who received oxygen therapy with available data. However, triangulation of existing data suggested that no facilities were equipped to meet minimum oxygen demands. We highlight the importance of a multifaceted approach to measuring oxygen access that assesses access at the point-of-care and ideally at the patient-level. We propose standard metrics to report oxygen access and describe how these can be integrated into routine health information systems and existing health facility assessment tools.

Background Child mortality remains unacceptably high, with Northern Nigeria reporting some of the highest rates globally (e.g. 192/1000 live births in Jigawa State). Coverage of key protect and prevent interventions, such as vaccination and clean cooking fuel use, is low. Additionally, knowledge, care-seeking and health system factors are poor. Therefore, a whole systems approach is needed for sustainable reductions in child mortality. Methods This is a cluster randomised controlled trial, with integrated process and economic evaluations, conducted from January 2021 to September 2022. The trial will be conducted in Kiyawa Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria, with an estimated population of 230,000. Clusters are defined as primary government health facility catchment areas (n = 33). The 33 clusters will be randomly allocated (1:1) in a public ceremony, and 32 clusters included in the impact evaluation. The trial will evaluate a locally adapted ‘whole systems strengthening’ package of three evidence-based methods: community men’s and women’s groups, Partnership Defined Quality Scorecard and healthcare worker training, mentorship and provision of basic essential equipment and commodities. The primary outcome is mortality of children aged 7 days to 59 months. Mortality will be recorded prospectively using a cohort design, and secondary outcomes measured through baseline and endline cross-sectional surveys. Assuming the following, we will have a minimum detectable effect size of 30%: (a) baseline mortality of 100 per 1000 livebirths, (b) 4480 compounds with 3 eligible children per compound, (c) 80% power, (d) 5% significance, (e) intra-cluster correlation of 0.007 and (f) coefficient of variance of cluster size of 0.74. Analysis will be by intention-to-treat, comparing intervention and control clusters, adjusting for compound and trial clustering. Discussion This study will provide robust evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community-based participatory learning and action, with integrated health system strengthening and accountability mechanisms, to reduce child mortality. The ethnographic process evaluation will allow for a rich understanding of how the intervention works in this context. However, we encountered a key challenge in calculating the sample size, given the lack of timely and reliable mortality data and the uncertain impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial registration ISRCTN 39213655. Registered on 11 December 2019

BackgroundChild mortality remains unacceptably high, with Northern Nigeria reporting some of the highest rates globally (e.g. 192/1000 live births in Jigawa State). Coverage of key protect and prevent interventions, such as vaccination and clean cooking fuel use, are low. Additionally, knowledge, care-seeking and health system factors are poor. Therefore, a whole systems approach is needed for sustainable reductions in child mortality.MethodsThis is a cluster randomised controlled trial, with integrated process and economic evaluations, conducted from January 2021 – September 2022. The trial will be conducted in Kiyawa Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria, with an estimated population of 230,000. Clusters are defined as primary government health facility catchment areas (n=33). The 33 clusters will be randomly allocated (1:1) in a public ceremony, and 32 clusters included in the impact evaluation. The trial will evaluate a locally adapted ‘whole systems strengthening’ package of three evidence-based methods: community men’s and women’s groups; Partnership Defined Quality Scorecard; healthcare worker training, mentorship and provision of basic essential equipment and commodities. The primary outcome is mortality of children aged 7 days to 59 months. Mortality will be recorded prospectively using a cohort design, and secondary outcomes measured through baseline and endline cross-sectional surveys. Assuming the following, we will have a minimum detectable effect size of 30%: a) baseline mortality of 100 per 1000 livebirths; b) 4,480 compounds with 3 eligible children per compound; c) 80% power; d) 5% significance; e) intra-cluster correlation of 0.007; f) coefficient of variance of cluster size of 0.74. Analysis will be by intention-to-treat, comparing intervention and control clusters, adjusting for compound and trial clustering. DiscussionThis study will provide robust evidence of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community-based participatory learning and action, with integrated health system strengthening and accountability mechanisms, to reduce child mortality. The ethnographic process evaluation will allow for a rich understanding of how the intervention works in this context. However, we encountered a key challenge in calculating the sample size, given the lack of timely and reliable mortality data, and the uncertain impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial registrationISRCTN 39213655, registered 11th December 2019

IntroductionThe aim of this evaluation is to understand whether introducing stabilisation rooms equipped with pulse oximetry and oxygen systems to frontline health facilities in Ikorodu, Lagos State, alongside healthcare worker (HCW) training improves the quality of care for children with pneumonia aged 0–59 months. We will explore to what extent, how, for whom and in what contexts the intervention works.Methods and analysisQuasi-experimental time-series impact evaluation with embedded mixed-methods process and economic evaluation. Setting: seven government primary care facilities, seven private health facilities, two government secondary care facilities. Target population: children aged 0–59 months with clinically diagnosed pneumonia and/or suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Intervention: ‘stabilisation rooms’ within participating primary care facilities in Ikorodu local government area, designed to allow for short-term oxygen delivery for children with hypoxaemia prior to transfer to hospital, alongside HCW training on integrated management of childhood illness, pulse oximetry and oxygen therapy, immunisation and nutrition. Secondary facilities will also receive training and equipment for oxygen and pulse oximetry to ensure minimum standard of care is available for referred children. Primary outcome: correct management of hypoxaemic pneumonia including administration of oxygen therapy, referral and presentation to hospital. Secondary outcome: 14-day pneumonia case fatality rate. Evaluation period: August 2020 to September 2022.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval from University of Ibadan, Lagos State and University College London. Ongoing engagement with government and other key stakeholders during the project. Local dissemination events will be held with the State Ministry of Health at the end of the project (December 2022). We will publish the main impact results, process evaluation and economic evaluation results as open-access academic publications in international journals.Trial registration numberACTRN12621001071819; Registered on the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted global oxygen system deficiencies and revealed gaps in how we understand and measure “oxygen access”. We present a case study on oxygen access from 58 health facilities in Lagos state, Nigeria. We found large differences in oxygen access between facilities (primary vs secondary, government vs private) and describe four key domains to consider when measuring oxygen access.Use8/58 (14%) of facilities had a functional pulse oximeter for detecting hypoxaemia (low blood oxygen level) and guiding oxygen care. Oximeters were typically located in outpatient clinics (12/27, 44%), paediatric ward (6/27, 22%), or operating theatre (4/27, 15%), not suitable for children, and infrequently used.Availability34/58 (59%) facilities had a functional source of oxygen available on the day of inspection, of which 31 (91%) facilities had it available in a single ward area, typically the operating theatre or maternity ward.CostOxygen was free to patients at primary health centres, when available, but expensive in hospitals and private facilities, with the median cost for 2 days oxygen 13000 ($36 USD) and 27500 ($77 USD) naira, respectively.Patient accessNo facilities were adequately equipped to meet minimum oxygen demands for patients. We were unable to determine the proportion of hypoxaemic patients who received oxygen therapy with available data.We highlight the importance of a multi-faceted approach to measuring oxygen access that assesses access at the point-of-care, and ideally at the patient-level. We propose standard metrics to report oxygen access and describe how these can be integrated into routine health information systems and existing health facility assessment tools.SUMMARY BOXOxygen access is poorly understood and the most commonly used metrics (e.g. presence of an oxygen source) do not correlate well with actual access to patients.Pulse oximetry use is a critical indicator for the quality of oxygen services and may be a reasonable reflection of oxygen coverage to patients with hypoxaemia.Oxygen, and pulse oximeter, availability must be assessed at the point-of-care in all major service delivery areas, as intra-facility oxygen distribution is highly inequitable.Minimum functional requirements for oxygen sources must be assessed, as many oxygen concentrators and cylinders may be present without being in working order.