Closing the Capnography Gap in The Gambia

Lifebox and the Gambian Capnography Gap

The University of Utah Department of Anesthesiology has had a relationship with nurse anesthetists in The Gambia for 10 years. Anesthesia providers in The Gambia face numerous challenges, including lack of capnography, something mandated by anesthesia guidelines in high-income countries for decades.

Only one-third of operating rooms in The Gambia have a capnograph. According to Prof. Momodou Mousa Baro, director of the nurse anesthesia program at the American International University of West Africa, "Capnographs are essential in The Gambia, a low-income country with limited access to high-tech patient monitoring equipment, because they provide a simple yet effective way to monitor a patient’s ventilation in real time. They are especially valuable during surgery and emergency care, where detecting respiratory problems early can be life-saving."

Lifebox, with partner Smile Train, is making capnographs available with the new Smile Train-Lifebox Capnograph (pictured below), an affordable, user-friendly, high-quality device ideal for use in low-resource settings.

The University of Utah Department of Anesthesiology and Lifebox are teaming up to provide Smile Train-Lifebox Capnographs to operating rooms in need in The Gambia. It costs just over $1,000 to supply a capnograph. Please help us provide this critical tool to improve patient safety for The Gambians.