In this episode of the Power for All podcast, William Brent speaks with Jeff Stottlemyer of CLASP’s Clean Energy Access program. COVID-19 has highlighted a silent humanitarian crisis that has persisted for far too long -- the fact that hundreds of millions of people in Africa and Asia are still served by rural health clinics that have no electricity. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/interviews/going-beyond-solar-holistic-approach-powering-rural-healthcare
In this open letter, The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Energy (MoE) call on funders and implementing agencies to coordinate efforts and pool resources to support government initiative to scale up the electrification of health facilities effectively and efficiently. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/action-plans/open-letter-funders-and-implementing-agencies-support-solarization-of-un-electrified-health-facilities-zambia
In 2019, India announced the completion of the Saubhagya Initiative, its program to provide electricity connections to every village and every home in the country. However, even though millions more are now connected, problems remain (and new ones have emerged), including unreliable supply of power, a lack of workforce capacity for utilities (DISCOMs) to serve an expanded customer base and additional stress of fiscal health. https://www.powerforall.org/insights/asia/4-insights-whats-next-india-rural-electrification
Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE TAF), World Resources Institute (WRI) and Power for All are supporting the Ministry of Health to develop a comprehensive set of activities to help bring electricity to Zambia's unelectrified health care facilities. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/videos/improving-health-outcomes-energy-access-zambia
Zambia’s Ministries of Energy and Health join forces to improve the delivery of health services through solar electrification of unserved health centers https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/press-releases/zambia-charts-new-path-powering-unelectrified-health-facilities-solar-improve-delivery-of-essential-services
Poor People’s Energy Outlook (PPEO) by Practical Action highlights best-practice for bottom-up energy planning, policy, finance, and scaling. Finance and subsidy are key. So is more focus on social uses: street lighting, health, education. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/research-summary-ensuring-inclusive-energy-access
COVID-19 presented an opportunity to show how decentralized renewable energy can accelerate access to better health, jobs, and quality of life through collective and coordinated action. To celebrate our 6th anniversary, this video shows the resourcefulness of working together, as well as the silver linings in the actions we have had to take to enact change. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/videos/celebrating-six-years-of-power-all
Over 50 years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that access to quality health services is a fundamental human right. This declaration is echoed by SDG 3 (“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”). However, today only half of the global population has access to health care. https://www.powerforall.org/insights/africa/zambia-launches-bold-plan-power-health-clinics-solar
The impacts of renewable energy mini-grids extend far beyond high quality electricity access, providing rural communities with employment, increases in household savings and micro-enterprise revenue, and improved health, education and safety. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/fact-sheet-quantifying-mini-grid-impacts
As of 2019, 4.3% of India’s rural Primary Health Centres (PHCs) did not have access to electricity. While the upfront cost of a solar system is high for most PHCs, displacing diesel generators with a solar system can save 80% of a health centers’ energy costs while bringing many benefits in improved healthcare services. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/factsheet-solarizing-rural-health-centers-india