Medical gases and long-term oxygen therapy: reducing the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease burden in aging populations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major global health challenge, disproportionately affecting aging populations in low- and middle-income countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). With an increasing prevalence driven by indoor air pollution, tobacco use, and occupational hazards, COPD remains underdiagnosed underdiagnosed and undertreated in the region due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure and resource constraints. This review highlights the critical role of medical gases, particularly long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), in managing COPD, improving quality of life, and reducing mortality in patients with severe hypoxemia. Although LTOT is well-established in high-income countries, its implementation in SSA faces significant barriers, including limited access, cost, and insufficient awareness. This review analyzes COPD management, LTOT benefits, healthcare policies, and aging demographics in SSA, focusing on experimental studies and synthesizing data for coherence. Relevant articles in English published from 2014 to 2025 were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and WHO. Through a comprehensive analysis of the epidemiology of COPD in SSA, the challenges of integrating LTOT, and successful case studies from comparable regions, this review identifies key opportunities for addressing these gaps. Recommendations include strengthening healthcare infrastructure, fostering policy frameworks for LTOT integration, leveraging community engagement, and enhancing patient education. By addressing these challenges holistically and fostering regional and global collaborations, SSA can mitigate the growing burden of COPD and improve health outcomes for its aging populations.