The Uganda Hypoxia Lab will be the first independent medical device research and testing facility of its kind in East Africa. It will also be the only lab globally that will conduct hypoxia testing in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC). The lab will be established to address a persistent gap in global health: many medical devices, including pulse oximeters, will continue to be designed and validated in high-income countries using light-skinned populations. As a result, these devices often will not perform as well for people with darker skin tones, potentially leading to missed diagnoses, delayed care, and poorer outcomes.

By offering high-quality validation services in a region that has historically been excluded from device development, the lab will ensure that diverse populations are represented in how technologies are tested. It will be co-led by Ugandan clinicians and researchers and developed in partnership with UCSF’s Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA), the UCSF Hypoxia Lab, the Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda (AAU), and faculty from Makerere and Busitema Universities.

With backing from the UCSF Hypoxia Lab’s decades of technical expertise, the Uganda Hypoxia Lab will provide contract testing services to manufacturers, support policy change with regionally relevant data, and build research capacity through local training and university partnerships.

We are currently setting up the lab and plan to open for testing in early 2026. Once fully operational, the Uganda Hypoxia Lab will offer high-quality, independent testing of medical devices with a focus on equity and global standards. Initially, studies will be done in partnership with the UCSF Hypoxia Lab as subawards to UCSF.

• Hypoxia testing for pulse oximeters (ISO 80601, FDA 510(k))
• Validation in diverse populations
• Capacity-building for local researchers and students

We aim to make sure devices work for everyone, everywhere.

This lab is a partnership between:

• CHESA at UCSF
• The UCSF Hypoxia Lab
• The Association of Anesthesiologists of Uganda (AAU)
• Faculty at Makerere and Busitema Universities

The lab’s structure and research priorities were developed through a 2023 feasibility process with Ugandan clinicians, researchers, and regulators. The lab aims to be compliant with ISO17025 and ISO14155 and local regulatory requirements and laws.

To learn more as a sponsor, click here.
To learn more as a participant, click here.

If you are interested in doing a study with the Uganda Hypoxia Lab, contact us here.