The US government has donated 15 state-of-the-art oxygen concentrators to Mozambique for the treatment of covid-19, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced Wednesday in a statement..

"These lifesaving devices provide continuous, low-flow oxygen to patients suffering from low blood oxygen levels," the note states.

The devices will be distributed to eight health units in the northern province of Nampula, and are valued at $60,000.

The aid is a response to needs identified by the Ministry of Health in the fight against the pandemic in Nampula province.

"These concentrators are ideal for more remote and under-resourced facilities, ensuring that patients can receive treatment close to home when they need it," the statement said.

The machines create a potentially unlimited source of local oxygen, with a purity grade of 87-95%, by extracting oxygen from the air and filtering other substances present in the air, reads the press release.

"As patients with severe covid-19 symptoms are referred to the covid-19 treatment center designed in Nampula City, these devices will play a crucial role in strengthening Mozambique's resilience to the pandemic," said USAID Mission Director in the country, Helen Pataki, quoted in the statement. 

As of August 2021, the United States government has invested about $51 million to prevent, test, detect, and treat covid-19 cases in Mozambique.

In July, the U.S. Government. donated 302,400 Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccines to Mozambique, with additional vaccine donations planned.

Lusa Agency