Thanks to our incredible supporters, we have been able to deliver solar lights to rural health clinics.
Babies can now be born into the world with safe light, and life-threatening procedures can be carried out by health professionals safely.
3 out of every 4 health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa are without access to reliable power. 1 in 4 health facilities are without access to any power at all. This is the reality of healthcare for millions of people across the continent.
As Covid-19 spreads across sub-Saharan Africa, whole populations are left vulnerable as health care systems, without access to basic power and lighting, are struggling to cope.
We quickly responded to this crisis. Through our Moment of Sunshine and Christmas appeal, together we raised an incredible £370,008. This will help towards ensuring that no health clinic is left in the dark by 2030.
Our teams have already distributed thousands of solar products to health clinics, to help them in their vital work treating patients. Like Chipembi Rural Health Centre in Zambia, who received solar products in December.
I am extremely grateful for the lighting provided as I have [previously] delivered many babies by torchlight and using the phone light. — Esther Sakala, Head Nurse
Olivia Chivita faced a complication with her second pregnancy and was admitted to Chipembi Rural Health Centre for treatment. She had to stay for closer observation in the event that she needed to be attended to immediately. The clinic did not have solar lighting during her first pregnancy, so her experience this time around was very different.
During my first pregnancy I had to come with a torch for delivery in the event that the electricity went, now I no longer have to worry about that because the solar lighting is sufficient. — Olivia Chivita, patient
Back in May, we also delivered solar products to Zomba Central Hospital in Malawi. Director of the hospital Dr. Joshua said, “We are very, very happy here at Zomba Central Hospital. […] This will be of great importance to our hospital, especially during this period of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit us.”
We are now continuing our work with local health partners across Malawi and Zambia, equipping rural clinics with the latest solar technologies that power medical devices, alongside developing programmes to scale up this intervention so that we can reach even more people.
SolarAid could not have achieved this without the many individuals and organisations that have supported our work, helping us to get clean, safe solar light to every rural health clinic without electricity. Thank you.
Together, we will End the Darkness by 2030.
