AIRE Project
- Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of child mortality in West Africa.
- Late diagnosis of respiratory distress leads to severe and preventable complications.
- The pulse oximeter is a simple and effective technology to improve the detection of critical cases.
The AIRE project (Improving the Identification of Respiratory Distress in Children) aims to systematically integrate pulse oximeters into pediatric consultations to improve the diagnosis of children in respiratory distress.
Funded by Unitaid, this initiative is implemented by ALIMA, Terres des Hommes, Solthis, and INSERM in four West African countries: Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Humanitarian context and challenge
Late diagnosis puts lives at risk
Pneumonia and its respiratory complications pose a significant threat to children under five. However:
- The lack of suitable equipment prevents early detection of respiratory distress.
- Oxygen, an essential treatment, remains difficult to access in many healthcare facilities.
- Healthcare workers often lack the necessary tools and training.
💡 Why does this matter?
- Every year, thousands of children die because of a lack of rapid and accurate diagnosis.
- Pulse oximeters help identify children in respiratory distress and adapt their treatment.
- Better access to oxygen in hospitals can significantly reduce child mortality.
📌 The AIRE project seeks to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of pulse oximeters for large-scale implementation.
➡️ To address these challenges, ALIMA and its partners are deploying concrete solutions to save more children.
ALIMA’s action
💡How does ALIMA integrate pulse oximeters into pediatric consultations?
The AIRE project is based on a multisectoral approach, combining medical staff training, equipment provision, and improvement to the healthcare process.
🔹 Training and community awareness
- Community health workers are educated to identify the signs of respiratory distress.
- Parents are made aware of the importance of seeking early medical care when severe symptoms appear.
🔹 Strengthening health centers
- Training of healthcare professionals in the use of pulse oximeters.
- Providing essential medicines and supplies to improve patient care.
- Joint supervision of activities by health districts and project teams.
📌 Over 200 health centers are now equipped with pulse oximeters, allowing for better detection of severe cases.
🔹 Improving hospital infrastructure
- 8 hospitals are equipped with oxygen extractors to treat referred children.
- Tracking the number of children transferred and cared for in hospitals.
- Data analysis to measure the impact of the project and optimize interventions.
📌 Over 850 healthcare workers have been trained to use pulse oximeters and manage respiratory distress.
Advocacy for widespread adoption
Integrating pulse oximeters into public health policies
ALIMA and its partners have organized several events to present the results of the AIRE project and advocate for its implementation:
📅 Regional conference in Dakar in 2023
-
Goal: to make pulse oximeters and access to oxygen a public health priority in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Participants :
📌 Over 500,000 children under five are expected to benefit from the AIRE project.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- It provides quick and reliable detection of respiratory distress.
- It facilitates the referral of at-risk children to appropriate care.
- It is easy to use, even in primary healthcare settings.
- Train health workers in the use of pulse oximeters.
- Improve the diagnosis of respiratory distress.
- Strengthen access to oxygen in hospitals and health centers.
- By integrating them into national health policies.
- By securing a sustainable provision of equipment and supplies.
- By training more caregivers to ensure proper use.
Our reports and publications on the AIRE project
ALIMA conducts committed scientific research, grounded in the realities of the field.
| Publication Title | Link | Authors | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care management and determinants of day 14 mortality in severely ill children aged under 5 years subsequent to hypoxaemia diagnosed using routine pulse oximetry in primary care: evidence from the AIRE project | Read the publication | Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible , Abdoul Guaniyi Sawadogo, Zineb Zair, Désiré G Kargougou, Bertrand Méda, Lucie Peters Bokol, Jacques S. Kolié, Sarah Louart, Solange Ouédraogo Yugbaré, Abdoul Aziz Diakite, Ibrahima Sory Diallo, Hannatou Abarry Souleymane, Sandrine Busière, Franck Lamontagne, Susan Shepherd, Valéry Ridde, Valériane Leroy | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Missed opportunities for hospital referral of young children with severe pneumonia identified at primary care using pulse oximetry: an analysis from the AIRE study in West Africa | Read the publication | Désiré Lucien Dahourou, Désiré Neboua, Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible, Zineb Zair, Sarah Louart, Jean-Paul Yassa Guilavogui, Abdoul Guaniyi Sawadogo, Bertrand Meda, Solange Ouédraogo Yugbaré, Ibrahima Sory Diallo, Abdoul Aziz Diakite, Hannatou Abarry Souleymane, Valéry Ridde, Valériane Leroy | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Prevalence and factors associated with severe illness in West African children under 5 years of age detected with routine pulse oximetry in primary care | Read the publication | Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible, Abdoul Guaniyi Sawadogo, Zineb Zair, Désiré G Kargougou, Honorat Agbeci, Bertrand Meda, Lucie Peters Bokol, Jacques Kolié, Sarah Louart, Solange Ouédraogo Yugbaré, Abdoul Aziz Diakite, Ibrahima Sory Diallo, Hannatou Abarry Souleymane, Désiré Neboua, Marine Vignon, Sandrine Busière, Franck Lamontagne, Valery Ridde, Valeriane Leroy | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Understanding health innovation adoption: a realist evaluation of pulse oximeter implementation in primary care for children under 5 in four West African countries | Read the publication | Sarah Louart, Habibata Balde, Abdourahmane Coulibaly, Abdoua Elhadji Dagobi, Kadidiatou Kadio, Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible, Valériane Leroy, Emilie Robert, Valéry Ridde | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Acceptability of the routine use of pulse oximetry by healthcare workers and caregivers within primary healthcare in West Africa: mixed-methods study | Read the publication | Sarah Louart, Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible, Habibata Balde, Abdourahmane Coulibaly, Abdoua Elhadji Dagobi, Kadidiatou Kadio, Désiré Neboua, Zineb Zair, Valériane Leroy, Valéry Ridde | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Household costs of care in children under five attending primary care in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger: a cross-sectional study nested in the AIRE project | Read the publication | Honorat Agbeci, Richard Bakyono, Amadou Oury Touré, Adama Coulibaly, Zineb Zair, Mactar Niome, Adama Hema, Abdoul-Salam Sawadogo, Sory Keita, Lucie Peters Bokol, Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible, Désiré Neboua, Sarah Louart, Valérie Zombré, Dieney Fadima Kaba, Amadou Sidibe, Hannatou Abarry Souleymane, Anthony Cousien, Sandrine Busière, Franck Lamontagne, Valéry Ridde, Sophie Desmonde, Valériane Leroy | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Challenges and needs before implementing routine pulse oximetry within primary care for sick children in West Africa: baseline assessment within the AIRE project | Read the publication | Kessièdé Gildas Boris Hedible, Gildas Mahena Anago, Severin Lenaud, Désiré Neboua, Zineb Zair, Abdoul Guaniyi Sawadogo, Sarah Louart, Valérie Zombré, Dieney Fadima Kaba, Amadou Sidibe, Hannatou Abarry Souleymane, Sandrine Busière, Marine Vignon, Franck Lamontagne, Valéry Ridde, Valériane Leroy | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Pulse oximetry to optimise first-line care and save children’s lives: evidence from the AIRE project in West Africa | Read the publication | Catia Cilloniz, Sergio Massora, Anthony Batte, Quique Bassat | BMJ Global Health | 2025 |
| Evaluation of the routine implementation of pulse oximeters into IMCI guidelines at primary health care level in West Africa | Read the publication | Hedible G.B., Louart S., Neboua D., et al. | BMC Health Services Research | 2022 |
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