As we mark World Health Day 2026, it is important to recognize the critical role of reliable energy in healthcare. Nearly a billion people depend on health facilities with limited or no electricity, undermining the delivery of quality services. While the pandemic brought new attention and momentum to the sector, the post-pandemic era presents changing funding dynamics that make energy access essential for achieving universal health coverage, ensuring safe childbirth, and maintaining vaccine cold chains.
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has prioritized health facility electrification through its Powering Healthcare programme. By partnering with stakeholders across health and energy sectors, SEforALL has emphasized that bridging the energy gap requires collaboration, sustained investment, and urgency. The initiative moves beyond advocacy, delivering tangible solutions in healthcare settings.
Since 2020, SEforALL has deployed power solutions in 61 health facilities across four countries. In Sierra Leone, a partnership with FCDO and the Ministry of Health has equipped hospitals and clinics with solar PV and storage systems. These interventions have produced measurable impacts, including a 158% increase in energy use at initial hospitals within one year, alongside a 38% reduction in reliance on diesel generators. The improvements translate into lower costs, increased reliability, reduced emissions, and better health outcomes.
Innovation remains a core focus, with the Powering Healthcare Innovation Fund piloting solutions in seven countries to improve energy delivery, facility operations, and health data management. Collaborations with organizations like UNICEF, GEAPP, and FCDO have also strengthened market intelligence through country-level assessments and roadmaps, helping governments and partners implement projects efficiently and coordinate across sectors.
Despite progress, significant gaps remain. Many health facilities still lack reliable electricity, with around 100,000 clinics in Sub-Saharan Africa without adequate power. Emerging financing models such as energy-as-a-service and distributed renewable energy certificates offer potential but are not yet scaled. The estimated investment required to power every facility is $4.9 billion, roughly $5 per person impacted.
Closing this gap will demand continued innovation, strategic partnerships across energy, health, and climate sectors, and strong collaboration between public and private entities. Above all, recognizing and financing energy as a foundational element of resilient health systems is essential, as the costs of leaving clinics in the dark far exceed the investment needed today.
