In rural Uganda a lack of reliable power means mothers are often forced to give birth in the dark. Now a new solarisation project is bringing light and reliable electricity to health centres across the country.
At a glance
- Like many health centres in Uganda, Nakifuma Health Centre III struggled with an unreliable power supply. “Power was more off than on,” a clinical officer said. That meant vaccines needed to be kept at a different facility in order to prevent risky temperature fluctuations, and mothers often gave birth in the dark.
- That changed in December, when a 12-kilowatt solar power system was installed at Nakifuma. Nurses applaud the better working conditions, and more births and vaccinations are being reported by the facility.
- Nakifuma Health Centre III is one of 250 facilities in Uganda to benefit from the Gavi-backed solar power project.
