Powering Health Care: Lessons from Finance Models for Health Facility Electrification in Africa and India

The report examines asset ownership, lease-to-own, and energy-as-a-service models for solarizing health facilities in India and Kenya, highlighting the need to shift from philanthropic grants to blended finance and flexible service-based models to ensure long-term operational sustainability.

• Globally, 1 billion people rely on health facilities with unreliable or no electricity, with 15% of facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa and 12% in South Asia lacking access. Facilities without electricity experience 39% lower patient foot traffic compared to those with reliable power.
• Scaling health facility electrification requires a global investment between $3.6 billion and $4.9 billion, covering both initial installation and long-term maintenance, including battery replacement.
• The asset ownership model is the most common approach, often relying on philanthropic funding and corporate social responsibility (CSR) grants in India. However, these grants typically only cover upfront costs and O&M for up to five years, leaving facilities responsible for long-term costs thereafter.
• In Chhattisgarh, India, the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) solarized over 1,400 public health facilities as of March 2023 by blending public financing from the National Health Mission, the District Mineral Development Fund, and CSR funds.
• A public asset ownership model in Makueni County, Kenya, installed a 205 kilowatt-peak solar PV system at Makueni County Referral Hospital, which meets 30% to 33% of the facility's electricity needs and saves approximately 7 million Kenyan shillings ($54,000) annually.
• A lease-to-own pilot in Kenya demonstrated significant cost reductions for private clinics; Top Care Nursing Home reduced monthly electricity costs from $400 to $100 and eliminated $100 in monthly diesel O&M costs, maintaining operations during a 24-hour blackout on August 25, 2023.
• To increase the uptake of service-based models, the report recommends implementing longer repayment periods, aligning loan repayments with previous utility costs, lowering downpayments, and using government or philanthropic subsidies to support smaller facilities with limited cash flow.

APA

Chembe, A., Concessao, L., Meenawat, H., & Teferra, B. (2026). Powering Health Care: Lessons from Finance Models for Health Facility Electrification in Africa and India. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/powering-health-care-lessons-finance-models-health-facility-electrification

Chicago

Chembe, Anderson, Lanvin Concessao, Harsha Meenawat, and Birouke Teferra. Powering Health Care: Lessons from Finance Models for Health Facility Electrification in Africa and India. World Resources Institute, 2026. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/powering-health-care-lessons-finance-models-health-facility-electrification.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chembe |first1=Anderson |last2=Concessao |first2=Lanvin |last3=Meenawat |first3=Harsha |last4=Teferra |first4=Birouke |title=Powering Health Care: Lessons from Finance Models for Health Facility Electrification in Africa and India |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=7 January 2026 |url=https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/powering-health-care-lessons-finance-models-health-facility-electrification |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chembe2026powering, author = {Chembe, Anderson and Concessao, Lanvin and Meenawat, Harsha and Teferra, Birouke}, title = {{Powering Health Care: Lessons from Finance Models for Health Facility Electrification in Africa and India}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/powering-health-care-lessons-finance-models-health-facility-electrification}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }