Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities

The report identifies a critical gap in electricity access for health-care facilities in low- and middle-income countries, estimating that nearly 1 billion people are served by facilities with no or unreliable power. It argues that reliable electricity is a fundamental enabler of universal health coverage, essential for life-saving services such as maternal care, immunization, and emergency response. The document provides a comprehensive framework for electrification, emphasizing decentralized renewable energy—particularly solar PV—as a cost-effective and climate-resilient alternative to grid extension. It estimates an urgent investment need of US$ 4.9 billion to bring facilities in 63 assessed countries up to minimal electrification levels. Key recommendations include moving from an 'install and forget' to an 'install and maintain' approach, integrating health and energy sector planning, and utilizing geospatial tools for precise needs assessments.

• Approximately 1 billion people in low- and lower-middle-income countries are served by health-care facilities that either lack electricity entirely or have an unreliable supply.
• There is a significant disparity in electricity access based on facility type and location, with rural non-hospital facilities facing the greatest energy poverty.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 25,000 health-care facilities have no electricity access, and 68,350 facilities rely on unreliable electricity.
• The World Bank estimates that US$ 4.9 billion is urgently required to provide minimal or intermediate electrification for health-care facilities across 63 low- and middle-income countries.
• Decentralized renewable energy, specifically solar PV, is identified as the most viable and rapidly deployable solution for remote facilities and as a critical backup for unreliable grids to increase climate resilience.
• The use of energy-efficient medical appliances can drastically reduce the required size and cost of energy systems, with potential savings of 53% for baby warmers and 75% for oxygen concentrators.
• A critical failure in many electrification programs is the 'install and forget' approach, where budgets for long-term operation, maintenance (O&M), and battery replacement are neglected.
• Reliable electricity is directly linked to improved health outcomes, such as a 40% reduction in paediatric mortality in Papua New Guinea through solar-powered oxygen therapy.
• There is a strong correlation between the lack of electricity and the lack of other basic infrastructure, such as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in health-care facilities.
• Effective electrification requires a shift from supply-driven standardized models to needs-driven, process-based approaches that involve local health stakeholders in energy audits.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-01/energizing_health.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-01/energizing_health.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-01/energizing_health.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndenergizing, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2023-01/energizing_health.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }