The governments in sub-Saharan Africa have partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to launch the Solar for Health initiative
UNDP’s Solar for Health initiative will support the governments to install solar systems in health centres and clinics in rural areas to reach underserved communities. The aim is to ensure healthcare for all.
Clive Marimo, director for Hospital Planning and Infrastructure in the Ministry of Health and Child Care of Zimbabwe, explained, “The Government of Zimbabwe desires to have the highest possible level of healthcare and quality of life for its citizens regardless of their geographical location.”
“The rolling-out of the Solar for Health project tallied well with the ministry’s strategic plan of improving primary healthcare. Most primary healthcare facilities located remotely are off grid and the solar project transformed the services of such facilities where basic procedures were not possible due to unavailability of a power source,” he stated.
UNDP will work in partnership with governments and local communities to ensure the sustainability of Solar for Health initiatives, including system maintenance.
In Zimbabwe, UNDP has equipped 405 health facilities with solar systems to strengthen national systems for health. It estimated a 100 per cent return on investment within two to five years when health facilities with unreliable energy sources install solar systems.
