Simple technologies like pulse oximeters offer a lifeline to those who urgently need oxygen to breathe. Yet, these devices are often not available in low-resource settings, suited for children who need them most, or perform accurately on darker skin tones. Growing evidence suggests that pulse oximeters can overestimate oxygen saturation in the blood of patients with darker skin pigmentation—leading to delayed or inadequate medical treatment, often with tragic consequences.

PATH, through its Tools for Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (TIMCI) initiative and with support from Unitaid, has partnered with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Open Oximetry Project to improve access to appropriate and accurate pulse oximeters for every patient, regardless of skin tone.