Nearly one billion people in the Global South access health facilities that run either on unreliable electricity or no electricity at all. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, 12 and 15 percent of health facilities, respectively, are yet to be electrified.

While decentralized renewable energy (DRE), primarily solar, has emerged as a viable solution and many national and sub-national governments are increasingly including health electrification within their budgets, there is still more to be done and significant funding is needed.

As we celebrate World Health Day 2024, we call attention to the right of everyone to access modern health services that require electricity to function properly and without interruption. Join World Resources Institute for a webinar showcasing how efforts in India and sub-Saharan Africa are harnessing renewable energy, in particular solar power, to ensure health facilities have access to clean and reliable electricity. The session will cover insights from the recently released report, “A Spoonful of Solar to Help the Medicine Go Down: Exploring Synergies Between Health Care and Energy,” as well as from WRI Africa’s Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) initiative.

The webinar will present WRI ‘s latest research at the intersection of health and energy, followed by an expert panel with stakeholders from finance and policy to discuss challenges and lessons on scaling decentralized renewable energy to improve people’s lives.

Confirmed speakers include:

Lanvin Concessao, Senior Program Associate, Energy, World Resources Institute

Ranjit Dhiman, Supply and Logistics Manager, UNICEF 

Benson Ireri, Africa Lead, Energy Access, World Resources Institute

Jennifer Layke, Global Director, Energy, World Resources Institute

Harsha Meenawat, Senior Program Manager – Energy and Development, Energy, World Resources Institute

Dr. Pavitra Mohan, Executive Director and co-Founder, Basic Health Care Services                                                                                                                                       

Jolanda van Ginkel, Head of Portfolio – Renewable Energy, IKEA Foundation

Salvatore Vinci, Sustainable Energy Advisor, World Health Organization

 

Cover image by Akshay Ingle