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.

More than 5 billion people lack reliable access to medical oxygen, a vital resource for treating diseases, and it is in short supply.

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.